Hello my name is Megan and I am a non-vegan.  What am I doing here you ask? Well I’ll tell you:

I'm a Non-Vegan

I have never had too many people in my life who lived a vegan lifestyle until I started to work closely with Brad and Claire Gosse.  This isn’t to say I didn’t know and understand why people choose to live this lifestyle.  I grew up in the country but not on a farm (basically in the middle of a big field) close to a small town which is frequented mostly by the farmers of the outlying townships.  This made it fairly RARE to find someone who didn’t consume milk, eggs, beef, chicken or pork on a regular basis. In high school there was always that one kid who had dreadlocks, tie-dyed t-shirts, and birkenstocks who was our “model” vegan. Eventually I grew up and moved to Toronto to go to college and I was exposed to the “real” world,  real issues, and REAL people.

Me with Mr. & Mrs. Gosse

I am proud to say that I appreciate people who take a stand for what they believe in and perhaps for something bigger than themselves. Now that I have had my world experience in the big city I don’t judge people on their beliefs but take pride in learning about why people choose certain causes/lifestyles.

...I take pride in learning...

I now know that some people choose a vegan lifestyle for the love of animals and of course all living things. This also carries over into not wearing leather or fur and standing up for the living creatures who can’t defend themselves. I can say that I admire people who take this stance because I can say that there are things that I am passionate about BUT I can’t say that I have made a life change as a result. I honestly wish I could. Knowing a few vegans personally at this point in my life has taught me to strive to be better in my own way, for my own reasons in my own life. I have been reading a lot about PETA and learning a lot about this end of the spectrum.

Some vegans just plain LOVE animals!

Some people choose veganism as part of a healthy lifestyle or as a result of an allergy or disorder. How can anyone argue with this side of the “cause.” Whether it be an allergy or just plane old lactose intolerance sometimes people don’t have a “cause” to get behind to choose veganism.  Through research and just being around those who are vegan I have observed with my own eyes that it truly can make a difference health wise. When I worked from the office (with 2 vegans at the helm) we frequently would eat lunch together and I had NO “beef” cutting out the meat, eggs and milk to share a meal. Sharing meals with “a couple” of vegans expanded MY small town choices to something different I may have never tired otherwise. I can say with confidence I now love Vegan Sushi as I’ve never been a fan of raw fish to begin with. Mmmmmm Sweet Potato rolls and Veggie Tempura *insert drool here* Also I’ve tasted many of Claire’s baked goods while she was creating “Are You Sure That’s Vegan?” and her baking was so tasty I wouldn’t have placed them in the vegan category if I didn’t already know they were!

Some choose veganism for health...

The other reasons people may choose to become vegan are perhaps environmental (which I can get behind cause this is our only inhabitable planet and someone better be caring about it) or perhaps a religious reason and I could/would and WILL never judge a persons beliefs or religion cause I believe that everyone should be free to live their life they way they choose.

Life=Freedom to Choose

So the whole point of this post is for me to say HEY GUYS I’M NOT VEGAN and this is my take on the philosophy/lifestyle. I am going to try and post my views and opinions here on a regular basis as a non-vegan aware/knowlegable about veganism and I wanted you all to know that even though I come from a “hick town in the middle of nowhere” I get IT and support those who LIVE IT.

Follow me on twitter @koolmeg

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