2010 is Vegan. If You Want It.

Happy New Year!

I hate to begin the first post of the new year with an apology but I really need to. The past few months I have sorely neglected this blog for one reason or another and you all deserve better. The fact is that life got in the way and - between the kitchen renovation, side work, volunteer activities, a visit from my father-in-law and sundry other reasons - Cackleberry was the victim of too-much-to-do-and-not-enough-time-to-do-it.

This must change.

I intend this blog to be a tool for - as Gary Francione puts it - creative vegan education and of course that means actually posting more than once in a blue moon! So, with that in mind, I have decided to re-prioritize a little this year and, although I am not a big fan of New Year's Resolutions, here's a few thoughts for 2010....

This year I will...


...reach out to others more and lead by example

...make time for what's important in this life. I am about to turn 40: if I don't make time now, when will I?

...accept that my needs are important too, respect them and not put them at the end of the queue

...translate the desire to help the animals into actually helping the animals. Leverage the strength of my convictions to actually create physical change.

...take better care of my body so that I can be a good example for others of the health benefits of veganism

...remember that this life's not a dress rehearsal and take time to reconnect

...strengthen the community by actively participating and supporting the work of others

...drop the 50lbs or so of excess weight I need to lose. This padding has been my protection for too long. I no longer need it.

...eat more leafy greens and fewer vegan cupcakes

I also want to gain more confidence in, as Colleen Patrick-Goudreau puts it, speaking my truth. An anonymous comment on my last post upset me sufficiently to prevent me from writing and, while I ought to have responded clearly and swiftly, confronting the views of this individual was so painful that it become another reason not to post. It was the elephant in the room - until it was dealt with, I didn't feel I could write anything else. Well, that's going to change too: the gloves are off and I intend to learn to articulate my views more confidently. It is easy and comfortable to talk solely with the like-minded, but reaching non-vegans and those for whom animal rights is a non-subject is what's going to help the animals most. In short, I intend to belly-up and learn to communicate more effectively.

So, that's pretty much it for this first post of 2010. Thank you all for hanging in there and excusing my absence. This year will be a banner year for the animals and I intend for Cackleberry to play some small part in that. So: stay posted!

And tell me - what are your intentions for 2010?

Stay vegan, friends! :)