Why Vegans And Omnivores Are Not Divided
I have a confession to make: I watch Food Network. I know it might seem odd because most of what is shown on Food Network is not vegan and no, this is not how I satisfy cravings for non vegan food. I don't really have cravings because I've been doing this long enough. I do this because of what we have in common.
What could I possibly have in common with anybody on Food Network? Quite a bit. We share our love of food and cooking. We enjoy being creative and bouncing ideas off of each other. It's fun for me to see what people on these shows come up with, some on the spot because of a theme assigned to them, a budget they have to stick to, or an ingredient they are required to use. I talk about cooking all the time with people I know who share my passion for simply being in the kitchen, even though most are not vegan and I get a lot of inspiration from the, even though it's very rare that I follow a recipe to a T other than my own. I look at Food Network the same way. When a person cooks or bakes, they are not just yielding a product. They are telling a story. I get to know the people on these shows through what I see them make and the story they share. It's just like having a relative pass down a recipe that's been in the family for generations. There is a story about family of previous generations that is shared through the recipe.
I recently had the unexpected opportunity to meet someone who is on Food Network. Towards the end of the church service on Sunday, the priest announced that one of the kids of the parish was on this season of Kids Baking Championship and had him stand up so we could clap for him. I had watched one of the episodes the day before so I recognized him! After the service was over, I went to him to congratulate him because like all the kids, he did such a good job and what he did really takes a lot of guts no matter how old you are, and I give him a lot of credit for it. We chatted for a couple minutes because baking is something we have in common.
The reason I'm talking about this is because food is often regarded as a divisive topic. There are times when it's hard not to feel like I'm in a whole different category than meat eaters. It makes perfect sense because food is the center of many social situations and the food that is the center of such situations is often not vegan. Not eating the food is difficult to separate from choosing not to partake in the social event. Thanksgiving is the perfect example because traditionally, turkey is the star of the party. If you go to a Super Bowl party, there will be wings, pizza, nachos, or whatever usually not vegan food. A box of chocolates is how you show your valentine you love them if it's not flowers. You get the idea.
The food is usually not the reason why the occasion is important. You can be thankful for things other than turkey and choosing not to eat the turkey does not tell the world you're not thankful. The most important thing you need for Super Bowl Sunday is a TV so you can watch the game. And what if you have a valentine who hates chocolate? (not that us vegans don't like chocolate but it's surprising how much dark chocolate still has dairy in it) Substitute it with whatever food or non food item they do like and you will absolutely touch their heart that way.
If we stop focusing on whether everyone eats the same things, and instead focus on listening to the stories behind the food we eat, we will see that food is not a divisive force, but a uniting force. Sharing our stories is part of what makes us human. Anyone who eats a certain way (or doesn't) is not a rare breed or unhuman. We are all just human beings living our own lives and the reason we are able to come together is because we still have quite a lot in common.
What could I possibly have in common with anybody on Food Network? Quite a bit. We share our love of food and cooking. We enjoy being creative and bouncing ideas off of each other. It's fun for me to see what people on these shows come up with, some on the spot because of a theme assigned to them, a budget they have to stick to, or an ingredient they are required to use. I talk about cooking all the time with people I know who share my passion for simply being in the kitchen, even though most are not vegan and I get a lot of inspiration from the, even though it's very rare that I follow a recipe to a T other than my own. I look at Food Network the same way. When a person cooks or bakes, they are not just yielding a product. They are telling a story. I get to know the people on these shows through what I see them make and the story they share. It's just like having a relative pass down a recipe that's been in the family for generations. There is a story about family of previous generations that is shared through the recipe.
I recently had the unexpected opportunity to meet someone who is on Food Network. Towards the end of the church service on Sunday, the priest announced that one of the kids of the parish was on this season of Kids Baking Championship and had him stand up so we could clap for him. I had watched one of the episodes the day before so I recognized him! After the service was over, I went to him to congratulate him because like all the kids, he did such a good job and what he did really takes a lot of guts no matter how old you are, and I give him a lot of credit for it. We chatted for a couple minutes because baking is something we have in common.
The reason I'm talking about this is because food is often regarded as a divisive topic. There are times when it's hard not to feel like I'm in a whole different category than meat eaters. It makes perfect sense because food is the center of many social situations and the food that is the center of such situations is often not vegan. Not eating the food is difficult to separate from choosing not to partake in the social event. Thanksgiving is the perfect example because traditionally, turkey is the star of the party. If you go to a Super Bowl party, there will be wings, pizza, nachos, or whatever usually not vegan food. A box of chocolates is how you show your valentine you love them if it's not flowers. You get the idea.
The food is usually not the reason why the occasion is important. You can be thankful for things other than turkey and choosing not to eat the turkey does not tell the world you're not thankful. The most important thing you need for Super Bowl Sunday is a TV so you can watch the game. And what if you have a valentine who hates chocolate? (not that us vegans don't like chocolate but it's surprising how much dark chocolate still has dairy in it) Substitute it with whatever food or non food item they do like and you will absolutely touch their heart that way.
If we stop focusing on whether everyone eats the same things, and instead focus on listening to the stories behind the food we eat, we will see that food is not a divisive force, but a uniting force. Sharing our stories is part of what makes us human. Anyone who eats a certain way (or doesn't) is not a rare breed or unhuman. We are all just human beings living our own lives and the reason we are able to come together is because we still have quite a lot in common.