Cake World

1435: 

I’d like to say this: altruism is the answer to everything.  But I mustn’t, because it sounds too unrealistic.  However, in a way, that’s what veganism is, an altruism translated into daily practice, a panacea to modern living.

Making a start to being altruistic, by becoming vegan - even that is regarded as too unrealistic.  It might look good on paper, but in reality it seems too impractical, too 'selfless'.  Strangely enough, it doesn't quite work out that way, since the benefits far outweigh the inconveniences.  So, if you can ‘do’ it, then two things stand out above all else: the food's better and the whole daily practice is invaluable for the well being of the soul.

Like many people, I sometimes converse with my ‘soul’.  I have these little chats, but I struggle. In theory I like the idea of ‘saving animals’ and avoiding crap food but I'm still drawn to what excites my taste buds, like those unhealthy but yummy foods most people indulge in.  I'm tempted, even though I know they are bad for the body and very hard on the soul if they contain ingredients from farmed animals.

By becoming vegan I deliberately paint myself into a corner.  I live in a society where a great variety of foods are on sale, most of which I choose to avoid.  Before I became vegan there was no cake shop I didn't enter and come out with something; there were virtually no tempting treats I wouldn't buy.  There was no sense of needing to avoid things, unless they were costly or exceptionally unhealthy.  But once vegan, all that changed dramatically.  For instance, there’s no way my conscience would let me go into a cake shop, because now I know what they do to cakes these days to make them attractive.  They are laden with sugar and fats and made attractive with creams, chocolate, fillings, toppings, crunchy-soft textures and sweet flavours, much of which is heavily laden with animal by-products.

In the world of cakes, the experience of biting into one of those delightful confections is unforgettable, leaving behind a craving for more of the same.  And with over indulgence, the rich cake leads to fattening and overweight and even diabetes.  But more importantly, money spent on these items profits the cake-maker who is a major customer of the producers of milk-egg-based by-products that come from farmed animals.

As a vegan, by foregoing all of this, we miss out on this world-of-cakes-and-desserts.  At home, we might not have the time, the skill or the inclination to produce fancy cakes and sweet treats, so one does without.  For a cake-aholic like me, the effect of standing aside from the commercial cake-world is my way of making a bold stand against the cruelty of the dairy industry.  And of course, the great benefit of avoiding all this delicious crap (let's call it 'non-food') is that as vegans we relieve our bodies of the clogging-up effect that is the basis of so much ill health.  The further benefit is the altruistic boycotting involved in denying this ugly dairy industry our dollars.  In this way, it lets vegans lead more altruistic lives.  And that’s what I want most, even more than the exquisite if short-lived enjoyment of today’s rich and varied cake-world.