Another new member to our blogging team is Emily Rourke. Emily is currently studying reflexology and is an amateur yogi with grand plans to become a yoga teacher some time soon!
She will be writing about health, wellness, positive mindset and all things to do with ethical living! We asked Emily to tell us about her vegan journey….
There are few things more magical to me than watching that sparkly arch fly over the castle at the beginning of a Disney movie. I disappear into a world where everyone knows the dance steps and dreams come true. And when I say dreams come true, I mean the animals talk and/or can be understood.I have always been an animal lover.
There is not a time in my life when I have not either had a pretend pet or loved and cared for a variety of animals. From retrieving a mouse from a sink full of water and not understanding why they would not love a hairdryer blast to dry them off, to relocating worms as a child I struggle to grasp how people don’t care about animals.Growing up on a farm I always knew where meat came from. Before Simba was held up high on Pride Rock I understood what the circle of life was, and I am cool with it.I made a decision fairly early on that I wasn’t happy eating meat. I didn’t particularly like it (it was more out of habit) and I wasn’t comfortable that a life had to be ended just because I had a hankering for a burger.
With an incredibly supportive and non judgemental family, it was never an issue at home.It was my choice to not eat whatever (or whomever) I chose. I put up with the ‘original’ and ‘hilarious’ jokes about rabbit food, I ignored the insinuations that I would be weaker or become sicker, I breathed through the constant concern from strangers about my protein intake.What I could not stay quiet about was people refusing to acknowledge what they were eating (one unidentifiable tray of pink stuff wrapped in plastic please! Ew, leave nothing that resembles what this actually is), the hypocrisy around what is considered acceptable meat (pigs, calves, lambs) and what animals it was cruel and disgusting to eat (horses, dogs) and the apathy surrounding the meat industry.
I can’t tell you how many times I have heard someone tell me either how upset they are about the industry or that they are sure that everything is quick, sanitary and painless as they order their bacon sandwiches.I knew as much as I wanted to know about the meat industry to be more than comfortable with my decision to be a vegetarian. It was a no brainer. I read small amounts of information to keep abreast yet I didn’t want to cause myself the heartache and nightmares by digging too deeply. I was already on the train and supporting the cause, how could it help?Then came along a campaign from Animals Australia… Save the Bobby Calves. When I found out what Bobby calves were, my heart broke and I literally sobbed.
My vegan journey had began a little while before this, but what was a trial became my lifestyle that day. I am still a massive Disney fan. I line up at the movies clutching my vegan snacks opening week, elbowing small children out of the way in order to get a great seat. Just kidding… kind of 😉 .
Get to know a bit more about Emily by checking out her blog, instagram and facebook pages.