And provide an update of sorts. Have chucked the leather sandals (one of the soles had worn out anyway), so the only non-vegan item I still wear is my knapsack. In a way I feel about it as I do the pictures of meat and other animal products on my Flickr site: it's a representation of my former non-vegan life that I'm not yet ready to discard. I've had my knapsack for over five years and liked it precisely because it was leather. Leather meant that it would last forever, age beautifully, and be waterproof. Once or twice I've had food spill inside that might have wrecked other bags, but because it was leather I simply cleaned it up and moved along. I'm reluctant to part with it not because it cost a lot of money (it was only $10 at a flea market), but it has history (I use it almost every day) and I value its beauty and functionality. While I have made a commitment to not purchase any new items that are of animal origin, and may one day be ready to pass this bag along to someone else (I do recognize and appreciate the sacrifice that was made), I'm not quite there yet.
I think what I may do instead is take a cue from what authors Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer say on page 19 in their introduction to their cookbook (highly recommended by the way) How it all Vegan!:
Becoming vegan doesn't mean you are suddenly the vegan police, so don't judge others or try to catch them doing something un-vegan. Pay attention to your own life. What kind of vegan do you want to be? Will you subscribe only to the belief that our animal friends shouldn't be eaten? Will you remove all things from your life that contain animal products? Will you reduce, reuse, and recycle everything you can so that this planet is a clean, healthy place for animals and people? We both wear leather shoes. That's because we're not just pro-animal, we're also pro-Earth. It's our belief that nothing should be wasted. We will never buy new leather products again, but will continue to use the ones we bought before we went vegan. Sarah has had the same leather belt for over eight years, and it will probably last another eight. She wants to use up her possessions rather than litter the garbage dump with discarded leather so that she can buy an animal-friendly replacement. When the time comes for a new belt, she'll opt for the vegan one. That's our personal choice. Our decision to make. What's yours?
Yes, I think I agree with them. Plus, my knapsack could also lead to an interesting discussion should people ask why I still use leather if I'm a vegan. And I do refer to myself as vegan these days, even though there are those who feel that the term vegetarian would be more accurate.
So there you have it. I think I'm finally ready to launch this baby, and will be posting weekly rather than monthly. Stay tuned for photos of food, food, and more food!
Congratulations on the launch! I look forward to reading many posts to come.
I agree with your using your backpack while remaining conscious of where it came from. When the day comes that you are ready to pass it on, you will have respected *whom* it came from by 1) remembering where it came from, 2) being mindful of the sacrifice that was made for it to exist, and 3) recycling it and not just throwing it away. I'm in the same boat. I'll never buy anything made from leather again, but I have not thrown away what I have (a purse and a couple belts) that is still usable. We will try not to buy furry mice and feather toys for Paula and Spike now, but they do have a couple of those things....not to mention that they have to eat. Anyway, I think it's great your being vegan! And I look forward to this blog. : )
Thanks Krissa! Glad to have you aboard.
And you're way ahead of me when it comes to our feline companions--I never even thought about the furry and feathery stuff! Snort. Will keep it in mind next time I get KJ something new. Think I told you already, but I'm not planning on making her vegan as well. Cats are carnivorous by nature, so I'm gonna respect that.
Yeah, that would actually kill our kitties, literally to go vegan. I've heard of people who have tried to do that with dogs, but I am not sure what the results were. Probably not good. By the way, it was Nick that pointed it out about the cat toys and then I got to feeling bad about it.
I think it's easier with dogs as I believe they're omnivorous and don't rely on meat as such, but I would still be hesitant and definitely do lots of research first. Nick eh? :)