Heavy

491: Omnivores see themselves pulled in two directions at once - conscience versus comfort. In the end it’s usually comfort that calls the shots, offering wonderful, delicious-to-eat foods but clouding over various animal gulags down the road. Comfort and luxury come at a cost though, quite apart from money, in that the omnivore lifestyle is at the expense of the many animals who must die to provide for it. And that’s only at the end point, without bringing to mind their imprisonment in slum conditions. A niggling conscience could be enough to keep the omnivore’s nightmares alive at night, but gut-instinct also warns of the dangers of the live-now-pay-later variety. Somehow most of us know that what comes out of abattoirs and animal farms is not safe food. As we get older that becomes more apparent with the slowing-down, clogging-up and general fattening effects of eating animal foods. And if this makes us feel un-comfortable it rather defeats the persuasions of earlier years, when decisions were made concerning ‘comfort-over-conscience’. Delicious foods, tempting treats, full stomach - gradually the effects show up. Over the years ‘something’ goes sluggish and heavy inside. And it isn’t a healthy or happy feeling. Vegans are, to some extent and in this respect, safer and more comfortable. Conscience certainly feels okay. But we have the other sort of heavy problem, associated with the increasing and inescapable concern for our fattening friends and the animals who are being fattened to fatten our friends. Although, as vegans, we can at least sleep in peace at night, relatively un-plagued by our own fatness or guilt, we are still weighed down with an impossible sense of responsibility … perhaps for the whole planet. Omnivores and vegans alike are heavy with what could be so unnecessary.