Originally published November 19, 2019

My dad is 81 years old and a wonderful guinea pig when it comes to trying new food and recipes. He will be honest and tell me if he doesn’t like something and often he is surprised that the vegan version of a typical dish is palatable. “Thith ith good!” he’ll declare with a mouthful and I always have to chuckle. We talk about food a lot, but we don’t necessarily discuss veganism. He knows the way I eat, but I feel at his age he can do what he wants. Recently I used the word “controversial” in respect to the vegan movement and he said, “Huh? Controversial? What’s controversial about it? You’re doing a beautiful thing!”

Ah, Dad.

The thing is, I am never quite sure why veganism is so controversial. When I first became a vegetarian I wondered why I hadn’t done it sooner and why everyone else wasn’t doing it, too. For the first six months or so I was rather outspoken about it and I got answers like, “Animals are meant for us to eat,” “It’s just too hard, you’ll starve,” "That's just the way it is," and so on. If I pressed, it always turned into an argument. But why? Is having compassion for animals such an odd thing? Is changing the way you eat to promote a more peaceful planet a reason to make a fuss and yell? To many, yes, yes it is. And who knows why. I get that no one likes to be told what to do and certainly not what to eat, and no one likes a finger waved in their face. Each time I hoped that love and compassion would prevail over stubbornness and ego, but that never really happened.

I learned early on that being a pushy vegetarian did not work. Telling people what to eat did not work. Not only didn’t it work, it had the opposite effect. So I learned to keep my mouth shut and my plate open. Somehow, showing people what I ate without telling *them* what to eat was a gentler way to get my message across. Sometimes. And sometimes just the sight of my tofu scramble or veggie burger will upset someone. I never quite got why lunch was a reason to start an argument, but if you’re vegan, you know what I mean. People have told me they don’t want to know where their food “comes” from, and I think if that’s the case, you *really* need to know where your food comes from.

I still get taunted now and again with things like, “But animals taste delicious!” “Bacon on everything,” and the ever popular, “I can’t LIVE without my cheese!” (Trust me, you can live without it.) It’s kind of amazing to me that folks will argue until the sun goes down in favor of cruel industries that are destroying our planet. And why? Because something tastes good? Because it’s a habit to eat it? Because you ate it as a kid? Because that’s “Just the way it is”?

Are those good enough reasons?

I had to tell my dad the truth and that is I’m really not sure why veganism is controversial. And he’s right, it shouldn’t be. I don’t know why people get so upset over an alternative and cruelty free version of something. Are we as a society so rooted in habit that these dietary adjustments seem insurmountable? When I was a kid you had to get up to change the TV channel. Now we have a remote control that can be operated from across town. Some years ago if you phoned someone and they did not answer, you left a message and hoped you would hear from them soon (and that you were home yourself if and when they decided to call back.)  Now of course, we can contact each other any time, any place. And up until about twenty years ago we had to bring our film in and wait for it to be developed. Now we get to see our photos instantly and the whole world can see them, too. Would we reject any of these conveniences simply because we were used to it the other way?

I know, I’m half being facetious here.

A plant based way of eating may seem inconvenient at the beginning, but the fact is, it’s more convenient for our health, it’s more convenient for the planet, and it’s certainly more convenient for the animals. My dad’s question rings in my ears and I’m still not sure what the answer is. What I do know is I make a wonderful tofu scramble. The next time I cook one I’m going to take a photo and share it instantly with the whole world.

-Lisa  

Dad and little me sharing spaghetti under a 1970s rotary phone.