A pre-Memorial Weekend beach trip with the family, extended family and best family friends. My Sister In law made reservations at the most extravagant beach house in Duck, North Carolina aka Outer Banks. It was absolutely amazing the second we walked in. Huge kitchen, massive bedrooms with bathrooms, personal pool, jacuzzi, theather room, surround sound and TV’s everywhere. AND an elevator! Can’t believe it. It was just a stone throw away to the beach. Its great sometimes to just forget all the work and house chores to enjoy family, food, laughter and fun. We hope to do this yearly, I mean why not?!
This resulted in a number of times where nature, animals, and veganism came into play. Too many things too touch on. But here are a few things to remember:
– Walking on the beach at night and finding crabs running around
– Seeing wild horses on the beach (originally from the Spanish adventurers!)
– Seeing tons of birds fly around which my son Henry loved
– A pleasant Possum visitor who visited us at night
– Just enjoying the night sky and beach wind
– Not eating any meat during the whole Trip
– Eating only veggies at an AYCE seafood restaurant. Thank you for understanding Captain George’s
– Making a stand and voicing my opinion on veganism and animals
– Saving dragonflies and other bugs who got stuck in the house and set them free
Quite eventful time wasn’t it. Like I said before, its all about slowing down to think. Once you can really slow down and enjoy nature, your surroundings and the life around you. Things start to change. You start to appreciate and admire the uniqueness and gift we have around us. Its easy to say here and experience myself but hard to get others to share this or understand.
Onto the thick of things and a time I can not forget. My friends wife and my mom about near the end of the trip asked do you eat eggs and milk Virak? I said no I do not it is a disgusting industry and do you know what happens to them? I don’t know why but Ive never really been asked why do I do what I do. Why is it I don’t eat meat or products form animals? I felt this push to explain why and when I do, I’m not going to hold back. It is a disgusting truth and needs to be told. A part of me always holds back from my mother. I know its something she doesn’t want to hear and these sort of topics are not important to discuss. But in me I feel as her son, I hope she understands me and choice I make. And I hope that even at an older age and from a different view on the world, she could just understand.
She keep going I know I know what happens. I harped on the fact on what happens to be baby male chickens. They don’t even see the light of day for a minute. They are grinded. I wanted to show the cruelty. I didn’t show the actual grinding but just a glimpse of the madness at the beginning. My mom was pissed she goes no I know, dont show me! I stepped back and walked away. It was a short heated exchange but not with hate but ignorance on the situation. What makes me hate though is the case to hide the truth. When it comes to situations like my mothers in the Killing Fields, that people also did not want to hear the truth. That people did not want to believe it. With any atrocity or madness in this world, people just want to shun it. And I find it difficult to bear coming from my mothers situation. That if something again where to happen or about my mother, that if someone were to do the same. I would be furious. And these issues whether animal or people are the same to me. The immense and disgusting suffering. It honestly defies my moral compass and logic.
And whilst sitting there, my family and friends wondered what happened. Of course, I told them what happened and why. My one friend said I shouldn’t have done that to my mother but he understand. It was a time to get people off my back. And at least he was able to listen. That maybe I couldn’t change his mind but at least he would try to understand. Now at this point as always. Other members didn’t like this conversation and made some remarks which I wasn’t so happy about. I honestly feel quite insulted that this would come from them. Lke an internet troll hiding behind a cloak and saying remarks without thought or care. Thats the saddest part of it all. They heard nothing from me or think im crazy. I honestly hate to feel I’m crazy. It makes my brain go nuts. That everything i’m so passionate for and care for in my core is just ridiculous.
I’m sitting there spilling my heart out and trying not to be emotional about it. One thing people use to discredit me. Maybe they don’t say positive things or negative. But I can’t help the feeling I get of feeling dumb. I feel like a little boy screaming for help and people just looking at me. Walking by as if they don’t notice anything. Like I said that night, I felt so alone in that situation but felt so impowered at the same time. That I can’t stop believing in what I do and for my cause. I made my points in a concise and calm manner. I stuck to my guns. And a place where people didn’t want to listen. And I”M NOT GOING TO STOP.
I have 2 thoughts coming off this after typing. One being, I can’t imagine how the people who actually endured this social injustice in the past felt. When someone tried to get up and speak about slavery, womens rights, gender equality, etc and been laughed at or ignored. Issues we see and laugh at and don’t think could really happen. I think back to the suffragist the most. Women who spoke up for their rights. Knowing men have mothers, wifes, sisters, or daughters and yet they would have still ignored or laughed at women standing up for the cause. Its actually heartbreaking to know. That they couldn’t sit and think about it all. That women had to claw, kick and scream to be heard. Even be assaulted or died until people might bat an eye. Is that what vegans need to do for people to truly notice?
And lets think about those horses and specism. Nobody cares to hear about my little chickens or mother cows being raped. Let me put those cute ponies into the shredder the second they are born. Or all those dogs I saw raped for milk. Lets see if they lend an ear then.
No Comments