About

Why create a blog?

I have always enjoyed “actively participating” in the Internet since I learned there even was such a thing. I created my own website when I was in 6th or 7th grade, and though it was not exactly pretty, it was something. I started a blog previously with little success, but I have an actual plan for my blogging now, after I have become more educated about how and why others blog.

I also feel as though I do have something to say, something that I hope reaches a greater audience beyond those who are close to me (and get to hear about all of these things already). I think that I can be a resource for others, or a guide to a different type of awareness.

Why am I vegan?

For a really basic answer … I don’t want to be responsible for contributing to the killing, harm, and suffering of animals.  Also, you can get everything you need nutrient-wise from a plant-based diet, and it’s healthier!  For a more detailed answer, read on.

I became vegetarian around June 2004, when I was 20 years old. I had always cared for domesticated animals, the ones we usually think of when we think about animal cruelty and that kind of thing. I got more interested in the idea of animal cruelty and how to prevent it, so I started looking into things like the ASPCA. In my research, I discovered what kinds of cruelties other animals go through, to produce things like fur (which I had already been against) and meat. Once I saw all of these things, I realized just how much they overlapped and how it really is not fair to prevent cruelty to one type of animal while participating in cruelty to other animals. I then decided that I would “transition” to a vegetarian diet, but I soon realized that “transitioning” allowed me too many justifications and my guilt was too strong. I simply decided that from that moment on, I would not eat any animal, and I haven’t since.

I became vegan in February of 2008 after drastically reducing my consumption of all animal products. We were already buying only vegan products and eating all vegan at home, but when we ate out we would still make exceptions for things like cheese. Finally, there was no more denying the guilt that was still involved in consuming animal products, so we decided to be totally vegan.

Why do I craft?

Crafting, to me, is the act of creating something meaningful. It can be meaningful for you or for someone else, but above all it involves putting a bit of yourself into a creation. I love how I can take something like yarn, which isn’t a whole lot in and of itself (although if you talk to some people, and it’s a certain kind of yarn … you know who you are!), and create something that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Actually, that is how I would like to live my life – so that how I end up is greater than simply the sum of my experiences and my actions. I would like there to be more meaning in my life. And I think that is a worthwhile goal to have.