A Thought As You Go Through Your Day.

My husband posted this passage of a story on his facebook wall this week. A FB friend of his had posted about a recent experience he had, and it definitely bears repeating. An absolutely lovely summation of the slow, but steady progress our movement of compassion is making. Read on:

"A beautiful moment occurred today. While standing outside my art gallery in California eating a sandwich, the elderly Brazilian landlord of my building stopped and asked what kind of sandwich I was eating. "Veggie patty and avocado," I said. He asked me if I ate animals. I said no. He said, "Neither do I." I said to him, "Really? Why not?" He said "Because I hate to see them suffer." Meanwhile a third person stepped up, overhearing our conversation - an Italian artist from Rhode Island, he said to both of us, "I can't believe people still eat animals." I said, "Are you vegan too?" He said, "Hell yeah." 

So there we stood, three men who barely know each other: an old Brazilian man, an artist from Rhode Island, and me, a California former stoner/skater - all with one thing in common: compassion for the oppressed. I thought to myself, is this really happening? I thought it was only on FB that three vegans would randomly intersect. Is the world changing? Maybe it is. At least in small moments here and there. Like the moment I experienced today." 

- Al Jackson, vegan activist