Home Page
About Us
Action Alerts - Eco
Articles-Letters-Etc.
Calendar of Events
Columbia County
Discounts
Environment
Membership
Newsletters
Picture Book
Poetry
Recipes
Topical Subjects
(d-10)
Mid-Hudson Vegetarian Society, Inc.
38 East Market Street, Rhinebeck, New York 12572 USA -
845-876-2626
Vegetarian - Vegan - Animal Rights - Health - Nutrition - Environment
The mission of the Mid-Hudson Vegetarian Society, Inc. is to promote the vegetarian ethic in the Mid-Hudson (New York) region, educate the community and aid anyone in the pursuit of a totally vegetarian (vegan) cruelty-free and healthful lifestyle.
Newsletters - Fall 2007 Issue
Vegetarian Journey
By Siobhan Rubsam
Editor’s note: Siobhan’s journey began when she was 11 years old. She is currently 13. She is an eighth grade student in Red Hook Middle School and lives with her parents and an older sister and brother. Her mother is working very hard to learn vegetarian cuisine. The Vegetarian dinner Siobhan refers to was MHVS’s MeatOut event in March, with Dr. Michael Greger as our guest speaker.
I always thought the cows on the road we liked to bicycle on were cute and gentle. When the calves were very young, all of my family would fawn over them. I thought it was special that they always stayed together and never went too far from each other. The day I learned these beautiful animals were killed to make meat, my life changed forever.
I had been thinking about this a while before that day, but I didn’t really connect the animals with the meat. But on that day, I said I would never eat beef, or any other meat from cows, again. As the summer went by, and seventh grade started, my love of animals grew. I spent more time with my dog and cat than ever, and realized I wanted to help animals somehow. And then, eating pork just didn’t feel right. I remember looking at it and thinking, “I can’t eat this, it came from an animal”.
I also realized that if I don’t want to eat a cow, why would I eat a pig? It was around mid-fall when I finally stopped eating pork. I also realized, as my love for animals was growing more and more, that I had to do something for them.
It was at this time that my mom and I found out about the Catskill Animal Sanctuary from Mrs. Gelardi. Little did I know then that this place would change my whole way of thinking. The very first time we went there, I seemed to be in a trance. Here, all around me, was a beautiful place where potbellied pigs walked around happily, and beautiful pigs, goats, and horses made the barn a lively, wonderful place. There were also the gentle looking cows, the sweet ducks and the brilliantly colored roosters. It was a special place.
I would dread the nights we would eat chicken. I wanted terribly to become a full vegetarian. A couple of months passed by and the smell of spring was in the air. Going to the Animal Sanctuary had changed me. When we went to a vegetarian dinner (see editor’s note), more was about to change. There was a guest speaker and he talked about eating meat and the bird flu. He showed horrifying pictures of factory farms. On the ride home I said “I don’t think I can eat chicken anymore”, and my wonderful Mom said “Yes”. I was finally a full vegetarian!!
It was like a journey on my own secret road, a journey to a place where animals are not killed, but treated with equal love. They are no longer there for people, but we are there for them, to be their voice. Whenever I look into my dog’s puppy eyes, begging for love and kisses, which I shower on her, or my cat letting me soak her coat with my tears when I am sad, I realize there is something about God’s creatures that is so beautiful it is hard to explain on paper. But we have to look, to find them, to love them with our whole heart. They will never reject us, they always listen, and whatever happens, there is always love inside their hearts.
Return to Fall 2007 Issue
We look forward to
hearing from you
