challenging perspectives

I like to have my opinions checked every now and then. I've been thinking lately how I haven't really had someone challenge me as of late and I haven't really had the opportunity to defend my position(s) to anyone either. Well, luckily that changed today.

We have a guest staying with us who has done a lot of cool work and who I really respect. He's working with communities that I haven't began to approach and with different cultures that are truly foreign to me. Tonight, we hit a couple of different benefits, meetings and events, one of which was Red and Black's anniversary party. (See the above pic)

Anyway, our friend was talking about vegans. He wasn't coming down on them but he did state that it's a real unusual concept to groups that he's worked with in Mexico. I haven't thought about it too much but veganism really is a privileged diet. I'm not saying that vegans are wrong but I do think that a good number of vegans get hoity-toity on meat-eaters and even vegetarians but exclusive vegan food (and a healthy diet along with it) can be expensive and rare in a lot of parts of the world, including some parts of the US. Veganism is fairly easy here in Portland but this is a small unusual corner of the world.

I've always considered veganism an eventuality of mine. I believed that was the natural progression for me. I would go from meat-eater to vegetarian and ulitmately to vegan (but not fifth-level vegan). However, I really don't think that I could do that now and not just because I love eggs and cheese. My new thing was doing some various different activites but I also one new perspective as the result of today.