Vegan

Six years ago, I first heard about someone managing their health by eliminating all animal products from their diet. Two years after that, I met someone who didn’t believe it was ethical to kill animals and didn’t consume them. With each new encounter and post about eating vegan, and each post about climate change, I felt prodded and obsessed: will it REALLY help the planet? Could I possibly make this work?

One day, i just decided to do it.

I am an obsessive planner and an indecisive worrier. In an effort to save money and keep my weight under control, I batch-cook my meals and bring my own food when I have multiple services in a day (see this post I made for the Brass Chicks Blog!). One late night, I realized I had nothing but beans, tofu, frozen veggies, and rice to cook: five days later, I felt lighter and more energetic. I took the plunge and figured it out as I went. I haven’t been perfect: it turns out egg noodles and milk powder lay in waiting to trip up a successful vegan day! Some days it’s tough to feel full and I get sick of my own food.

Are you being prodded?

Is there something you’ve been thinking about doing, but putting off? Do you feel like you’re on the precipice of something new that won’t cost anything but some sweat on the brow? For many classically trained musicians like me, waiting for a big phone call that’s merited on your last performance, or practicing at home for the next audition feels familiar.

Waiting is a safe space.

I made an album in 2017 and loved it, and still do. I felt an itch to do another one, so I took new headshots and decided to arrange a new program that will hopefully become a recital format that’s not only new, but fun. I keep writing these blog posts and, though I’m sure maybe ten people read them at a time, I have the urge do it, and so I continue. Taking the vegan plunge has shown me that, despite all of the over-analyzing, sometimes the best way to turn off your mind is to go with the flow and embrace what comes. Waiting for nothing to happen and watching my friends succeed is purgatory, not life. I might decide that eating this way isn’t right for me in the long-term: at least I’ll know that I tried and failed. I hope I can follow suit In my career.

While I’m having fun changing up the way that I eat, I don’t feel called to convert my meat-eating friends to change. My primary interest in eating vegan is for the planet, but I don’t feel that any way of consuming is guilt-free. I am doing my best to buy groceries from places that make an effort to reduce their carbon footprint, which IS something I believe strongly in. I don’t see anything wrong with supporting local and ethical farmers by buying their surplus of eggs and milk: there are too many starving people in this city alone that make it immoral to waste a food source. I acknowledge that I have the privilege of being able to spend more on groceries than the average person, and I can’t judge anyone for their food choices. We all do the best we can to keep what we have: some of us will end up with more success than others, and it’s no one’s fault. Kind of like in our musician community.

All we have is what we do with the gifts of our lives. ❤️