Sitting outside my work one day, during our designated fifteen minutes of lung pollution, I noticed a face I hadn't seen huddled around the stairs before. Wendy had started two weeks before and had yet to show any sign of this unhealthy behavior. Lifting her arms above her head and running towards us, she giggled like a kid who just got candy. Plopping herself down in front of me and folding her arms above her head she asked in the smallest voice, "You wanna bum me a cigarette?" Slightly amused by this display of sophomoric behavior, I handed her one of my cigarettes. Once again lifting her arms up with glee, those behind her now noticed that her shirt had risen exposing the coloration of her back. VEGAN tattooed in script graced the space around the back of her waist. .
So the questions started- What's a Vegan? You mean you don't eat any meat? If you don't eat eggs how do you eat bread? Well what if you were strained on a dessert island, with no eatable plants, would you eat meat then? My co-workers took delight in quizzing her on what she could and could not eat, trying to trip her up or catch her in the act of omnivorous or even vegetarian eating habits. Never faltering, she lectured us all on the exploitation of animals and the importance of food education. Somehow along the way we became friends, sharing an interest in consumer education and healthy food choices. .
After almost a year the two of us carpooling, I was about to find myself with out a roommate. My lease was expiring and was having no luck in finding someone willing to relocate to the city. Wendy voiced her wish to move closer to school and her sister within those next few months. Being that we tolerated one and other enough to see each other on a daily basis, we decided to attempt cohabitation. And so it ve-gan.
THIS REFRIGORATOR IS A MEAT FREE ZONE.
Upon moving into our apartment, the first issue we tackled was the refrigerator and pantry.