A Venture into Veganism

My book club’s April book is Jen Hatmaker’s Simple & Free: 7 Experiments Against Excess. It arrived early in mid-March. I was not a fan of March’s book, so I gladly put it down and started this instead. I finished it in two days.

Jen embarks upon a social experiment with her family and a group of close friends she calls “The Council.” They examine seven areas of life and whittle out the excess to live simpler and freer. It is a fascinating premise and a quick and engaging read written like a journal.

The first topic is food. Jen and her husband ate only seven foods for a month, and she writes about the struggles, triumphs, and lessons she learned along the way. Tucked in here and there are small, digestible nuggets of research.

Late in the month, she mentions the brilliance of Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto. Then, she references Jonathan Safran Foer’s thesis from We Are the Weather: "by making 'a collective act to eat differently (no animal products before dinner)' we can turn the tide of the climate crisis." I kept reading but could not stop thinking about these brand-new-to-me ideas around a plant-based diet and it’s connection to environmental issues.

Inner Dialogue

:: No animal products before dinner. I could totally do that!

:: I can have a hard boiled egg for break...wait. Egg. Hmm. Is that an animal product? Hmm.

:: Well, then I can have yogurt...oh. Wait. Is that an animal product?!

Turning to my most often used research tool that is always by my side (Google), I actually typed in the search bar, “What constitutes an animal product?” I know. But I wasn't sure so I had to ask to find out. It so happens that all kinds of stuff I really like to eat are animal products: eggs, butter, cheese. If it came from an animal or something from an animal is used in it’s creation, following Safran Foer’s recommendation, I shouldn’t eat it before dinner. I laid this idea down and went about my life not expecting to think about it again.

But, the next morning, I woke up thinking about this idea again. Could I do that? What exactly would I even eat if I can’t have an animal product before dinner? So, I set off to a different research tool - Pinterest - to see what kind of ideas and recipes are out there to sustain life in this new way. Turns out, there are oodles and gobs of ideas and recipes out there. Huzzah! Now, momentum was rising, and I decided at that moment to give this thing a go.

Jen’s work has inspired me to take on my own little experiment of sorts. And, upon reflection, I suppose her book serves as a mentor text for my writing this month. (This is another reason why exposing kids to rich, quality literature in a variety of genres is so important. Who knows what will change them from the inside out. Who knows what texts will serve as their guides as they borrow and try out moves in their own life and writing. This is also why choice matters. I chose to put down the book I “should” be reading to read this one instead, and look where it led me. Somewhere surprising and exciting and fun.)

Never would I have guessed that my reading of this book - or any book, for that matter - would lead me on a path towards veganism. Who even am I? But, in my effort to pay attention to the things that spark my interest and stir me on the inside, I turned towards this idea and am starting to research and learn. My brain is happier when it is focused on learning something new.

Therefore….this month (at least) I’m going on a journey towards plant-based eating! I’ll blog along the way to crystalize my learning.

Things to Remember:

• Continue turning towards the things that excite and stir you.

• Keep advocating for student choice and autonomy. Keep reading new books in search of mentor texts to weave into conversations with teachers. This shit really matters and could actually change someone's life for the better.

• For the love, Mallory. You know you should’ve read this book with a pen in your hand. Always a pen in hand. Always.

• Manage your expectations to center around learning and trying, not perfection. This is my journey for me.