Newsletter Fall 2010

Why I Became a Vegetarian

by Debby Magill

I have always loved animals and when I was 13, I began to learn the truth about what we were eating and through a series of eye opening experiences, I slowly became a vegetarian in a very backward way! Most people become vegetarians by eliminating red meat first from their diets but as you'll find out in my story, ironically, beef was the last to go …

I was born in Denver, CO and when I was a baby we moved to Fargo, ND where my father had been born. Both of my parents were medical Doctors and had many other aspirations and activities! For sport, my father was an avid fisherman and loved to go game hunting. I was one of four daughters and my father longed for a son and since he never had one, he taught my sisters and me how to fish and how to hunt birds. Being the animal lover I was, this never felt right to me. I would go along with it because I loved my Daddy and wanted him to be proud of me but when it came time to shoot at the ducks or pheasants, I would purposely miss! That drove my Dad crazy because when we would go clay pigeon shooting, I would hit the target every time so he couldn't understand why his sharp shooting daughter wasn't bringing home the dinner! I was always relieved when it was time to go home even though I knew I had disappointed my Dad. My two oldest sisters (who also became vegetarians in college) did even further sabotage on these hunting trips by flashing mirrors and making noise to scare the birds away! My poor Dad, he had truly met his match in his daughters! When I was 12 years old, as a solution, my father opened up a hunting business in MN called "Hunting Unlimited". He would stock the farm with all sorts of game birds and anyone with a license could come in and order whichever types of birds they wanted to be released and once they were released, the customer would then shoot at them like sitting ducks … I felt so badly for these beautiful and innocent creatures and took two baby pheasants home to be my pets! During the summer, I had them outside in a cage and a cat walked by and literally scared them to death! I was so upset and my father saw it very differently. He didn't want the "pheasant meat" to go to waste, so he took my pets and cleaned them up to serve for dinner and didn't see anything wrong with that … I, of course, refused to eat my pets and that was the first major turning point on my journey to vegetarianism!

My vegetarianism began in stages of elimination. First on the list were game birds after what had happened with my pet pheasants. Then after we moved to NYC, I was sitting in the kitchen eating some chicken and my Parakeet started singing and suddenly, I realized what I was eating and now chicken (and all birds for that matter) were added to my "do not eat" list! Shortly, after that when I was 14, I was scuba diving in St. Croix and was blown away by the beauty of the world under the water! It was so breathtaking that I felt like an intruder if I ate fish and decided to eliminate them as well! That Fall, I went to school in Vermont and took a class on Farming! I was so excited as idyllic stories like "Charlotte's Web" were in the forefront of my memory! I was totally unprepared for what happened next. In our first class on Farming, they showed us a film of pigs getting slaughtered and I ran out of the room screaming as they slit the throat of what in my mind could have been Wilbur…needless to say; pigs (which included bacon) were the next on my growing list of "nevers"!

After I got back to NYC from Vermont, I went out to eat at one of the many fancy burger joints in the city. Although the dinner was tasty and I enjoyed it, I wound up getting sick to my stomach because I hadn't eaten meat in a long while and found out the hard way that your body stops making the enzymes to break it down if you stop eating meat. So, after I added beef to my "do not eat" list, my list was now complete and I became a fully fledged vegetarian at the age of 14 and have been so ever since! Along the way, I found out about the benefits of veganism and how it would help the animals, the planet and my health! 20 years ago, I stopped eating dairy, eggs and using anything animal related and was a strict vegan for a number of years! I have since modified my diet to occasionally include items baked or made with dairy or eggs but for the most part, I am a vegan.

Life as a vegetarian has gotten easier and easier over the years. When this journey first started, I struggled with lack of support and knowledge as my parents were very opposed to my decision and kept trying to make me eat meat. In their defense, they really didn't know any better. In 8 YEARS of medical school, there was only ONE HOUR taught on nutrition! Pretty scary, but thankfully that's better now! It also was difficult back then to find good vegetarian food. The only options in a restaurant were usually a salad and maybe the vegetable of the day (and pray it wasn't marinated in meat sauce)! Shortly after that, I became friends with a magician named Doug Henning who was also a vegetarian and going out with him to eat made my transition a lot smoother. Watching him and seeing how I could make this lifestyle a reality was very validating! As the years have gone on, it's been thrilling to watch the explosion of new foods, vegetarian restaurants and acceptance of the vegetarian and vegan way of life! I will never forget the first time I spotted a veggie burger in a regular grocery store freezer … That was a life altering moment and I knew right then and there that my love of animals was not in vain! My journey was all worthwhile and I was no longer going to be alone :!

Since 2001, Debby Magill has been Director of Public Relations and Reservation Coordinator for the Tampa Bay Vegetarians.

Thanksgiving Day

The 5th Annual ThanksVegan Dinner, sponsored by Florida Voices for Animals, will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa, 11400 Morris Bridge Road, from 1:30 - 5:30 pm. November 25, 2010. $5.00/adult with a vegan dish to feed 6-8 people (please bring serving utensil and ingredient list/recipe), or $15.00/adult without dish to share. *Children under 12 by donation, *Discount with student ID.

All food must be Vegan (NO animal products). Warming facilities will be available. Please bring your own plates and utensils to reduce waste.

Volunteers are greatly needed for setup and prep. To RSVP, volunteer or for more information: dstanford@gmail.com, susannahs@verizon.net, joanzach@verizon.net, (978)877-1252 (Dean), or 727/656-8368 (FVA) or 813/476-6436 (Joan) www.ThanksVegan.com.

Holday Party for TBV Members Only

Saturday, December 4, 2010, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 10891 102nd Avenue North in Seminole, FL

Sign-in begins at 6:30 P.M. - Dinner begins at 7:00 P.M.

The cost of the dinner will be $10.00 per person, with the balance subsidized by the treasury. The menu will include:

• Salad with Dressings on the Side (Oil/Vinegar, Italian, Ranch)
• Vegan Bread with Butter on the Side
• Roasted Medley of Fresh Vegetables
• Roasted Potatoes
• Baked Ziti with Marinara Sauce with Cheese
• Baked Ziti with Marinara Sauce without Cheese
• Fresh Fruit and Assorted Desserts
• Coffee & Water
• BYOB if you'd like something else to drink. Ice will be available.

There will be games and door prizes.

The deadline for Holiday Party reservations is noon on Wednesday, December 1.

Attention: Door Prizes Needed

The TBV's annual "Members Only Holiday Party" is coming up at the beginning of December and we're looking for items to give away as door prizes! Do you have a business and want to offer a service as a door prize for some FREE publicity? Do you have a new item or gift certificate with a value of $30 or more you would like to donate? If so, please contact Debby at (727) 432-3327 or e-mail: debby@tampabayvegetarians.org.

Membership Renewals Due Soon

Membership renewals are due. Please remember to sign a membership form when you renew. Membership amounts and the form for renewals and information update is on this page: LINK If you do not have access to the Internet, you can send a piece of paper with your name and renewal payment. All checks should be made out to Tampa Bay Vegetarians.

You may renew at the Holiday Party in December, at the dinner in January, or send to: Jackie van den Berg, 9658 Leeward Avenue, Largo, FL 33773. I will forward all payments to our treasurer, Denise.

If you know you won't renew this year, I would appreciate it if you would let me know that also. If you have any questions, contact me at: 727/395-9890 or jvandenberg@tampabay.rr.com. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Jackie van den Berg, Membership Chair

Did You Know?

You can review past newsletters from 2003 to the present at www.tampabayvegetarians.org? Check out "Sharing Info." You can also check out "Local Dining" for restaurants/ratings, "Awards" for previous Restaurant of the Year winners, etc.

Board Meeting

The next meeting will be held at noon, Saturday, January 8, 2011, at Panera Bread, corner of Starkey and Bryan Dairy, in the Bardmoor Shopping Plaza, Seminole. All TBV members are encouraged to attend. Join us for lunch.

For more information, please call Bettylou at 727/785-3041 or Michael at 813/269-4665, or check out our website at www.tampabayvegetarians.org.

Why and how did you become a vegetarian or vegan? Submit your story to be featured in a future newsletter.

Please submit other ideas and information for future newsletters to Dorothy Rolfe, Editor, phone: 813/932-1253, 813/928-5253 or send e-mail to: dorothy07rolfe@yahoo.com.