I signed up for the Main Street Vegan Academy (MSVA)

A couple/few months ago, I signed up for the Main Street Vegan Academy (MSVA) because I want to be able to have positive meaningful interactions with people about the vegan lifestyle. I want to try and start doing vegan outreach as one of my life goals as I venture into the crone stage of my life. Entering this stage of life definitely gets one thinking about life purpose. Did I have one? Do I have one? It's probably possible to have many purposes in life. 

"What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" - Mary Oliver. 

How have I lived my life in the past? What has served me well? What has been in line with my values? What has not? How will I choose to live the rest of my life?

While I have been mostly vegetarian for the past 35-ish years, with some periods of time of mostly vegan choices. I, unfortunately, was not consistently vegetarian over that time. There were a few periods in my life over those years where mud slides knocked the wagon right over. I regret those times and the choices that I made during those times. I regret that my choices resulted in the suffering of animals that didn't need to occur given my deeper value system that seemed to get buried in the mud. I also regret the amount of time spent as a vegetarian rather than as a vegan. Although I'm using the word regret, I cannot let that prevent me from shoveling away the mud and allowing the sun to dry the mud to be more easily dusted and blown away. The wagon is still there to be turned upright and peddled on.

Late last year, in the 52nd year of my life, about to turn 53, I decided enough was enough. It was time to start living in line with my deep value system. It was time to be vegan once and for all. I started that choice on 12/2/24.

In the first couple months of my reinvigoration for a vegan life, I listened to a lot of podcasts and I found the podcast by Moby and discovered Victoria Moran of Main Street Vegan. When the opportunity to sign up for the 2025 Main Street Vegan Academy (MSVA), I jumped on it!