My first job after college was at a casino, dealing blackjack, craps and roulette. During our time in dealer training school, some friends and I took a trip to Atlantic City. I had never been in a casino before and wanted to see the dealers in action. After 4 hours in the car, we were all starving by the time we arrived. So, we decided to eat lunch at the food court in one of the casinos before we started exploring. I ordered a burger and some fries. A few hours later, my stomach began to hurt.

By Linda Kocsis, Guest Contributor When I was a child, I loved animals, or so I thought. When I was growing up, we always had pets: birds, fishes, hamsters, rats, hermit crabs, dogs, and many cats. I was an only child, and our pets were really a part of our small family of two humans.

Like many of us, I was raised on a diet of hot dogs, Frosted Mini-Wheats, and Happy Meals. Every large family gathering warranted a giant pot of cheese-covered Cincinnati Chili; life milestones were celebrated with eight pounds of steak tips and a trip to the local Dairy Queen. No summer night was complete without a chocolate ice cream concoction. Basically, it was meat, dairy, cheese, oh my! And I loved it all – every last processed bite of it

When someone becomes vegan their whole life begins to change. For most people the first change is just the first of many. One of my favorite things in the world is to watch the “awakening” process that new vegans go through, and their personal transformations that come about as a result. I have a story, case in point

Horror. Paralyzing fear. Excruciating pain. Watching and hearing your friends suffer and perish. It is my hope that you have never experienced anything of this nature, but the emotions evoked by these words are what I feel every moment I envision eating meat or purchasing products tested on or made from animals. Extreme empathy is what I label it, though the images that conjure this empathy are something that many individuals turn a blissful, blind eye to. But at the ripe old age of ten, I began this trek, meandering down the path of animal rights, making a wish on every eyelash that they wouldn’t suffer for us and that their silent voices would be heard

I, like many vegans I know, constantly struggle with the question, what is the best way to reach non-vegans? How do you walk that fine line between becoming the Debbie Downer that everyone wants to avoid and not staying silent about the things that matter? And what is the best medium through which to educate (but not lecture) people?

Don Johnson, vegetarian since 1963, and vegan since 1991, talks about why he went veg, and why he has stayed vegan for most of his life. A healthier-looking 73-year-old you have rarely seen! Don talks about his local activism, and the changes he has seen over his lifetime in a world in which veganism is becoming more and more mainstream. Don’t miss this inspiring video!

I’m not exactly sure how I figured out that meat came from animals, but I remember being very little when I asked my mom why we kept cats and dogs as pets but ate pigs and cows. To my little brain an animal was an animal, and I didn’t see why we loved some of them and ate others. I don’t remember the answer, but I’m sure it was something like, “Because that’s the way it is.”

Why did YOU go vegetarian or vegan? In this podcast VM Blog Manager Emma Larocque and Managing Director Stephanie Redcross talk about THEIR veg stories, and invite listeners to share their stories on the Vegan Mainstream Blog. Listen here to find out more, and contact Emma with your veg story pitch (audio, video or article) at editor@veganmainstream.com.