Veganism: A Lifesaver in a Time of Chaos

I was watching Bowling for Columbine recently and I couldn’t get over how a film that’s over a decade old was still completely timely for today’s world. The same old arguments, the same old fears. It’s saddening.

There are some who want their semi-automatic assault weapons because it’s their constitutional right. One might conclude that the media perpetuates this irrational need for weaponry; after all, turning on the local news each night is kind of depressing what with all the robberies, assaults, and murders covered.

It got me thinking about how we live in a society that’s built on fear. We live in fear of the dangers around us – even if they’re not true dangers. We eat the fear in our food supply – if you don’t think that’s a possibility, might I suggest you acquaint yourself with the ways in which animals are raised and slaughtered for food? We die in fear because we can’t afford to eat better, to pay for expensive medication, to get proper healthcare after a lifetime of poor choices.

I started this year off by resolving to live fearlessly. Six weeks later, my dad got very sick. Our family is now struggling with one of the most terrifying experiences of our lives. Fear hits us from every angle, and fear of the unknown is perhaps the hardest to deal with.

When I think about it, veganism is the one certainty in my life at the moment. I don’t know if my father is going to beat his illness, if my family will be able to make ends meet, if I’ll be living in the same home a year from now. I certainly can’t even begin to imagine what life will bring in the next year, or five, or ten.

But there is one thing I do know: veganism is a lifesaver. I don’t mean that literally, at least not in this particular instance. Sure, I went vegan because I wanted to decrease the risk of diseases that run in my family, but when I say “lifesaver,” I mean it’s keeping me afloat. Veganism allows me to see things through a compassionate lens. It spurs me to research topics I might never have researched before – topics like social justice and healthcare reform, among other things. It gives me a focus outside of myself and the situation I am living with each waking moment. It fights fear because, in a way, it’s the polar opposite of that word; it’s love.

Living without fear can be hard in our world. But living without love is harder. I’m grateful for that realization.

Photo credit: Kay Gaensler via Flickr