Life Change

Most life changes are small, gradual changes that we make over a period of time. I can identify exactly each major life change I’ve experienced. Some of these were out of my control, others were conscious decisions. Marriage, being blessed with children, deaths of close family members, living across the continent and even in another country, and our daughters moving out of our day-to-day lives and onto college.

A few years ago, I began running again. I was a cross-country runner in high school, pretty quick too w a 5K PR of about 20:30ish. But I had never run more than 5 miles at any one time. So after several fits and starts over my adult life, I finally figured out how to run again and began running distances. Now a 10 mile run is easy peasy – sort of. I figure I am really slow now, obnoxiously slow compared to my teen-aged self, but I now can call myself an endurance runner! Sort of. My longest run has been a marathon 6 months ago. I dream of ultras….

Another major life change occurred rather spur of the moment about a month after that marathon. I became a full-fledged vegetarian. I never was a big meat eater and about 10 years ago I stopped eating beef. I just decided during one meal that I didn’t like the flavor any more so I stopped eating it. My family still ate it, but I didn’t cook it. I don’t even like the smell of beef cooking now.

Over time, it happened that the meat I was eating consisted mostly of poultry, occassionally fish, rarely pork. I would meet vegetarians and say “I could easily become vegetarian”. Often I made those choices when beef was the only meat choice available, or just because I like vegetables and grains. I often wondered which meat I would stop eating next and sort of plan it out – but never committed.

Then in April, I decided to see how many days I could be meat-free. It was mostly a health choice, but also a environmental choice (do you kow how many resources are used-up raising livestock and how much waste is produced??), and, to a lesser extent, an animal rights choice. We live in dairy country. I run past dairy farms on most of my routes. I have always felt bad for the cows that were stuck in their stalls all day, every day. I much prefer running past pastures where cows graze freely. And chickens in cages? I like the ones in my grandmother’s coops better, and the free range ones at a few local farms best. Don’t worry. I’m not going to go all PETA (or whatever) on anyone.

I still eat dairy and eggs – just as much as possible, I get organic, pasture-fed dairy products and organic, cage-free eggs. I also try to buy local as much as I can. I have trouble with the whole “packaged foods” thing since I work a very changing schedule and some convenience foods make my family life easier. But still, I figure I am reducing my food-footprint and that of my family. And it’s the whole, “ripple in a pond” thing. Small change for us, but the ripples can hopefully be affecting the other side of the pond. And maybe someone else will see the ripple and decide to create their own. Who knows? Enough ripples get started and maybe the good people of earth can make a wave and effect big changes.