I realized something a few days ago. I’m not in a competition.
I’ve only been online for a few months and I realized I’m trying harder, and harder, and harder… to do what? To be something I’m not. The Perfect Vegetarian.
After listening to people, talking to people, watching conversations going back and forth, reading comments on websites and Twitter, I realized there is a competition, of sorts, going on. A “perfection competition.” Who’s the best vegetarian? Who’s the best vegan? Who’s the best raw foods foodie? Who drinks the most green smoothies?
It’s subtle, but I realized I was being drawn in, and that’s not what I’m about. I’m not trying to be perfect.
What I’m “about” is making the foods I used to eat (and stopped eating when I became a vegetarian), available to vegetarians using new products that haven’t been available before.
Shepherd’s Pie? Got it. Garlic Fried Calamari? Got it. Chicken Soup? Got it. Beef Curry? Got it. Sausage and Peppers? Got it. More recipes coming? You got it!
Do I eat animals? No. Do I eat dairy? Rarely. Do I eat eggs? Sometimes free-roaming. (Maybe someday I’ll have my own chickens and keep them as pets when their egg laying days are over because I’m probably going to be an old woman with a house full of animals!)
Am I a Perfect Vegetarian? No. But if everyone does the best they can, as I try to do, then what more can we expect of each other? Perfection? No. Doin’ our best? Yes!
Mindy,
Thanks for a great post.
Being authentic is so much more important than being something you are not. Congratulations for making the choice to be real, to be who you are. That decision is part of what makes you so endearing.
Thank you for being here and sharing your knowledge and wisdom.
Thats a really kind comment. Thank you.
Mindy
I can completely relate to this. When I first joined the bloggerverse I kept comparing my blog to so many others. My photos were never as good, my recipes not as simple, my writing not as hip, LOL…but then I realized the same thing…I’m not perfect BUT I am me. I really started to understand why I wanted to blog and that was to not only keep a record of our journey as vegans but also as a form of activism–to bring veganism to anyone willing to read the blog. So I have to be me, because it is my own personal journey. I might not ever have hundreds of followers but those that read my blog I am so appreciative of. If I can make just one person start to think about the food they eat and make changes…I have done something.
Great post! Look forward to reading more.
It was like a bolt of lightening when I realized I could only do the best I could on any given day, and that if my example made a change in someone else, it was all worth it. We’re definitely on the same wavelength!
Mindy
Well said. Our culture seems to push people to compete in all facets of their lives, including what they eat — how ridiculous. My goal is to be healthy and cruelty free. If I can accomplish that successfully, then I’ll be happy. And yes, I plan on adding our own chickens to the mix when I retire (have three miniature donkeys right now). And like you, doubt I’ll be able to “dispose” of the girls when their productivity slows down.
Thanks for the comment. In my case, if I ever do have chickens, there is no doubt, they will remain as my pets!
Mindy