I didn’t jump onto the Facebook train willingly. I joined kicking and screaming because without it I was missing out on events and announcements. Births, engagements, even a high school reunion came and went without me knowing. So I caved. Little did I know that this decision would change the course of my life.
I’d been a vegetarian since I was a teen. Now in my 40s I was pretty set in my ways, comfortable in my assumptions, sure I was preventing animal suffering, and oblivious to the truth.
A few little posts changed all that. After joining Facebook, I quickly filled my feed with everyone I wanted to keep in touch with. A high school friend shared some Gentle Barn posts. I’d never heard of The Gentle Barn and I was quite interested in the animals and in the owner, Ellie Laks. One thing led to another and before long I was following Ellie’s links into the depths of factory farming, and the dairy and egg industries.
I was shocked to find out eggs and dairy are in fact not byproducts of the meat industry, nor is leather, or wool for that matter. Immediately I felt sadness and rage at having been lied to by the industry, brainwashed by nutrition information, and a sucker for false advertising. Worst of all was the realization I had been paying for the torture of innocent animals for decades without even knowing it. I felt like I’d been under a rock all that time and was ashamed for having not peeked out from under it.
I went vegan quite instantly. My only regret: not having learned sooner.
Before long I was joining vegan groups, educating myself, sharing posts and information. I began reading, researching, and teaching those around me, influencing my family, friends, and coworkers, planting seeds about veganism everywhere I went and in all I did.
And all because an old high school friend shared a few posts from The Gentle Barn.
You may never know how what you do influences others. Never underestimate the power of sharing information, being a voice for animals in any way, shape, or form you can. It all works. It all counts.
Visit The Gentle Barn web site and Facebook page.
Susan Barzallo is the News & Associate Editor of The Animals Voice.
