You're so brave/strong/etc.

I really do not understand why this even comes up. So many times have I told people about my veganism, or heard stories of others doing the same, only for the person to say "You're so strong!" or something along those lines. I understand that this person is just wrapping their head around the idea of veganism, the idea of giving up some convenience for some principles, and that if you've never really been vegan it does seem like a gargantuan choice with lots of struggle, but, really....

it's not.

Are you strong for not enslaving another human being even though it would be easier for you to have someone else do all your work?

Does it take courage and grit for you to not use gender epithets (e.g. slut, skank) even though other people around you may do so?

I don't wake up in the morning biting my lip, thinking about all the challenges I've brought upon myself for being vegan, glad I've got moral steel instead of mere moral fiber.

I just wake up. I wake up and live my life in line with my ethics, square against the things I think are wrong and cruel and shameful, celebrating the things I think are good and true and beneficial for the world. That's all I do. That's what veganism means to me, and it's not hard at all.
It seems hard to non-vegans simply because it doesn't seem ethically necessary to them. It seems difficult to me to, say, never wear the color green because one thinks it's unethical. I can't wrap my head around why wearing green would be morally wrong, so, to me, it seems unnecessary, overly hard, and I think a person committed to not wearing green would indeed need some fortitude. Same thing with being vegan! An omnivore can never truly step into a vegan's pleather shoes (without ceasing to be an omnivore), so the task of consuming absolutely ZERO animal products might seem daunting, but for us it's the exact opposite. It's just what we do. Hell, it would take strength for me to not be vegan! It might be more convenient, sure, but silencing my conscience would take pounds, tons, endless amounts of strength, far far more than being vegan ever would.

Is it Vegan?

But is it vegan? Seriously, pick up any item that didn't come from the produce section of the grocery store and the question has to be asked. There is fish in some orange juice, sugar in canned goods, whey and lactose in countless items. To keep myself sane while shopping I do a number of things:

1) Get familiar with the bad ingredients: There are tons of lists of animal derived ingredients on the internet. People load them onto their palms, crackberries, and ipods. Some vegans even print them out and carry them around on paper! For me, my palm pilot is my best friend. It even has internet which allows me to do research on exotic ingredients and possibly animal derived ingredients on the fly.

2) Work out a method of scanning labels: The FDA finally did something I like, allergens must now be listed on labels in big bold print. I look for milk and eggs in bold first, and if I see either one I immediately put the "food" item down. If I don't I begin a careful scan of the label looking especially for casein (even though it's dairy it sneaks through), sugar, and chicken stock or fat (not considered an allergen).

I'm also paranoid so I check for whey too, even though that is usually counted as a milk product and ends up in the bold print. After that scan I look again and see if there is any suspicious looking ingredients, this is when lists (electronic or otherwise) come in handy.

3) Avoid processed foods all together: There are a number of ways to do this, go to your regular grocery store and buy more fresh produce and frozen veggies. Or frequent your local produce stands and farmer's markets, along with local natural food stores. Even the corporate natural food stores will make shopping easier for you.

When I go shopping I get bulk items from our local natural food store, then hit up produce stands and farmer's markets, after that I go to the corporate natural food store, and any items I miss I try to get at a regular grocery store.

4) Support Cruelty-Free companies whenever possible: It saves you headaches, and it helps some people who are consciously doing the right thing like you. Most vegan friendly companies will say so on their packaging or websites. I also usually double check by searching for the company name followed by the word vegan.

Oh! I forgot to explain the fish in the orange juice, which brings me to a salient point. Fortified foods often contain animal derived vitamins and minerals. The fish in the orange juice was Omega 3 fortified orange juice, where the omega 3 happened to come from fish oil! Some soy milks have been known to be fortified with animal ingredients as well. When in doubt ask the internets.

Also, remember, humans are animals too. Support fair trade items, local produce, small businesses, and union made goods. Not only will you be doing a good thing, but usually the products are of better quality, and contain fewer mysterious ingredients. Be a conscientious vegan.

How do you remain so disciplined?

Working in the healthcare environment that's the question that I get the most, and it always catches me like a deer in the headlights. Why? Because it makes no sense.

See, being vegan, at least an ethical vegan, means that veganism isn't about losing weight. It can be spiritual (because saving lives has that effect), but it is not a religious quest of sacrifice.

It is indeed about the animals, it is about bettering the environment, the conditions for other humans, and the world in general. My veganism is me taking a small step to end suffering, simply by doing the right thing!

Yes, being vegan is about doing the right thing. Is it right to kill another person? Do you consider yourself disciplined because you don't run around killing people? That is what is like for a vegan who understands animal suffering, we recognize that milk, cheese, eggs, and meat come a tremendous amount of suffering.

Which makes bringing my lunch to work not that hard for me to do, because I don't like blood in my food. Do you? Because unless the food is vegan, I can guarantee it's there!

"You're so brave!"

Whenever I hear this, really, it makes me want to be violently ill. Is the state of our world really so terrible that no one stands up for what they believe in anymore? But to the point...

Yes. Yes I am.

I am brave to be vegan in the face of a world of humans that tells me, "It's not natural," "You're going to starve," "You're a freak," "What? That's crazy!" "I could never do that," "Oh, I forgot to order the vegan meal for you," "You're a self-righteous fanatic," "You're a terrorist," and, yes, "Oh, you're so brave!" (Usually followed by, "I could never do that...")

Shit yes I'm brave to face off to that from nearly everyone I meet. Shit yes I'm brave to face off against the FBI, CIA, whatever organisation it is that's calling us terrorists these days. Shit yes I'm brave to face off against hunters (note, they're armed).

You know why I'm brave enough to face ridicule, loss of food, even imprisonment?

Because I know...

If I don't do this, someone will get hurt.

Or rather, because I am not doing something, it is:

If I do the opposite (using animals), someone will get hurt.

Yes. So they're "just animals". So what? You're "just" a human to them. Why shouldn't I look at it from their point of view rather than yours? Their lives are infinitely more worthy of existence than yours to their point of view.

In a world where hundreds of millions of animals are slaughtered and abused every day, I can do no less. In a world where millions of animals are force-fed, in a world where millions of animals are starved, in a world where millions of animals are beaten, in a world where millions of animals have their throats slit for no other crime than being born into the wrong body - every day - I can do no less.

So think about why you admire me, and instead of hanging by the sidelines, get in there. Learn. See. Hear. You'll become brave too.

Shit yes I'm brave.