This week our family was chosen to be featured as family #204 for The 1,000 Families Project; which is a celebration of the cultural diversity of literally one thousand different families.
Without surprise, we, the Shell family serve to represent the 2.5% of the American population who live the plant-based lifestyle: I am a vegan, and my wife, son, and daughter (who is due to be born next week) are vegetarians.
This is clearly not a phase in our lives; we have been this way for several years now. This peculiar yet unpopular lifestyle is undeniably a major part of our identity as a family.
I am very pleased with how the feature on The 1,000 Families Project turned out. One of my main objectives was making it clear that we live this way for health reasons; relating it back to how my health issues (eczema, dsyhidrosis, acne, pet allergies, sinus pressure and infections) all disappeared once I converted.
Looking back, I can remember how I had misguided, preconceived ideas about people who didn’t eat meat (and/or eggs or dairy). I remember assuming vegans and vegetarians must not be getting enough protein or that they must feel weak and low on energy all the time or that they are secretly hungry. For me, it was always a given that vegans and vegetarians must be underweight; being malnourished.
In reality, since becoming a vegan, it’s true I lost a couple dozen pounds, but I have also remained in the perfect weight range for my age and height. To actually live this way has shown me the truth about how this actually works.
It’s important to me that I serve as a rational spokesman for the vegan/vegetarian lifestyle. At the same time, I keep a Libertarian approach. Like I mentioned in my recent video, one of the rules of being a cool vegan is to not talk about being a vegan, unless someone asks first.
A few weeks ago, I told you about how at school you drew a picture of a dragon that breathed air out both ends…
Well, on Tuesday night as I was looking through your daily drawings, I discovered a happy Brontosaurus with his rear end facing what I thought was the pot of food.
But then you explained, “He eats the spaghetti and meatballs and then he potties them out.”
So the “pot of food” was actually the toilet. The brontosaurs apparently ate the spaghetti and meatballs (though he’s a vegetarian, like you), then just moments later they came out into the toilet.
Sounds like that dinosaur needs to have a toilet installed in his kitchen, if that’s the case.
In your typical style, you weren’t smiling or laughing as you told me this. It was became clear to me that you are simply fascinated by how the digestion process works:
Indeed, the dinosaur ate the spaghetti and meatballs and then they came out into the potty.
When I was your age, I was still assuming that when I ate food, it simply just went down to my toes. You’re beyond that naïve concept of thinking.
I couldn’t help but ask a few follow-up questions:
“Did you show this to your friends or teacher?”
“No.”
“Did you laugh when you drew this?”
“Yes.”
“Who did you draw this for? Who did you want to see this?”
“You and Mommy.”
Granted, you didn’t present this drawing to us. You casually waited for us to ask to see your daily drawings from school.
Of course, I couldn’t help but share your art on my Instagram, which is linked to my Twitter and Facebook.
My followers are starting to see a pattern in which potty humor is beginning to play a decent part in what I share about my life.
You are into understanding the physics of the digestive track, by default, becoming one who appreciates potty humor.
I celebrate you, therefore, I celebrate potty humor too.
From January 22nd to the 24th, I filmed 6 webisodes of Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest. Similar to the way I filmed 4 webisodes after the Christmas 2015 flash flood, I took advantage of the weather condition, making it the plotline of these half a dozen webisodes.
And starting with Webisode 18, I introduce a fun new theme song as well as a new animal hat…
I’ve gotten to the point where I pretty much just keep my camera, tripod, and Uncle Nick costume in my car with me; in order that I can always be prepared to shoot an episode on the spot.
Good thing I was ready on Friday, January 22nd, when the blizzard kicked in. I have a coworker, Shane Moore, who is quick and faithful to help me out with some of the shoots.
So he served as my camera man and assistant director for the first 2 webisodes of the blizzard story arc.
Webisode 14 features Mama Bear and Baby Bear, who get separated during the beginning of the blizzard. It’s up to Uncle Nick to reunite them!
In Webisode 15, we are introduced to a poor little homeless Husky who is stranded out in the middle of the snow storm. Uncle Nick must find her a new home to get her warm.
The remaining 4 webisodes of the blizzard story arc were filmed Saturday and Sunday morning; just me and my tripod.
Webisode 16 finds Piper the Penguin frozen to the ice. Uncle Nick must find a place to keep her safe until the other penguins return.
In Webisode 17, Uncle Nick must resuscitate a lizard he finds who is literally freezing in the river.
Then in Webisode 18, Uncle Nick encounters a sleepwalking pig, who is headed towards a frozen lake.
And finally, in Webisode 19, Uncle Nick must discover, and uncover, a frozen frog on a log.
In the next story arc of episodes, the plot will definitely be thickening…
If you haven’t checked out my Uncle Nick series, I encourage you to, with a younger child next to you. I predict it will be an engaging experience.
If you are a casting director currently in need of a vegan for your upcoming show, you probably need to check me out.
I’m a good find for many reasons. Allow me to count the ways. How about 3 for now?
First, I have plenty of on camera experience. Thanks to my YouTube Channel, I am able to advertise my marketable personality on a daily basis. As you can see, I am dynamic, passionate, and yet emotionally intelligent.
Second, I am a male vegan. Most vegans are female. I can present veganism in a new light. For years, I had constant sinusitis, eczema, headaches, acne, and pet allergies. All of those health issues disappeared (and have remained gone) since I became a vegan nearly 3 years ago. What a testimonial, right?
Third, I am engaging. While I have zero interest in pushing my beliefs on others, I have much interest in “vegan apologetics.” In other words, I enjoy educating the general public on their preconceived ideas about vegan.
Yes, I get enough protein. Look at me. I’m not skin and bones. My doctor confirmed last April that I am healthier than most 34 year-olds he’s seen.
No, I’m not secretly hungry. I eat a lot and I’m always full.
No, my food is not disgusting. I love what I eat.
So there you have it. Why wouldn’t you pick me for your show?
I’ve got the experience, the personality, the story, the passion, and the chutzpah.
Then you’re going to set up a phone call with me for tomorrow afternoon.
Next, you’ll call me and realize that I am the real deal.
After that, you’ll set up me up with a Skype interview to show to the network. They’ll pick me after watching the highlights you’ve edited from that interview.
Then, you’ll officially select me for the role of “Token Vegan” for your show.
We both know it’s inevitable. Let’s just go ahead and get to it.
One shared stereotype between atheists and vegans is that they bring up the topic within 5 minutes of meeting people. In theory, they both have extreme beliefs and lifestyles that many other Americans don’t feel comfortable with accepting.
Atheists deny the existence of God or any kind of higher spiritual power. Meanwhile, vegans deny the need to consume any animal products (meat, dairy, eggs) in order to be healthy.
Both extremes deny things that most people can’t live without: God or edible animal products.
It’s almost an impossible question; to ask, “Which is more difficult, to become an atheist or a vegan?”
(That’s of course assuming you’re not already an atheist or agnostic; or vegetarian or vegan.)
I think much of the difficulty in legitimately asking and answering this question in a public online forum is that it might be easier for the participants to become more focused on bashing each other’s beliefs than it is to actually simply answer the question I am proposing. Hopefully, that’s not the case…
If you live your entire life believing in God (or at least some kind of spiritual higher power), it seems it would be nearly impossible to just switch off that fundamental belief; especially knowing that to believe in God is to accept accountability for your life, once it ends; assuming there are eternal rewards and consequences, accordingly.
It seems that if you truly believe in God, even if you’re a “lapsed Catholic” or a “backslidden Baptist,” you still wouldn’t be able to declare there is no God; because in your heart, you still would believe there is.
In my mind, to choose becoming an atheist over a vegan means you are already heading down that path of non-belief; that you’re already quite skeptical of God, or at least of the general public’s view of what God is supposed to be like.
But my perception is, that is not how most people (at least here in America) are.
On the other hand, if you are used to eating meat, dairy, and eggs, you could switch to just eating veggies, fruit, grains, beans, nuts, and seeds. However, it would take much education to realize it could be done.
Most people still believe the myth that vegans don’t get enough protein. But I feel I’ve done a good job of busting that myth.
Look at me. I’ve been a vegan nearly 4 years now, and a vegetarian more than a year before that, and kosher (no pork/shellfish) for several years before that.
At 5’9”, 155 pounds, and age 34, I have remained in the perfect weight range. Notably, I am clearly not underweight.
If I wasn’t getting enough protein, it would be pretty obvious.
Of course, my doctor confirms I am getting enough protein, as well as all other nutrients I need; and that I am “healthier than most 34 year-olds” he’s seen.
He even commented that he “wasn’t surprised” to learn in hindsight that I am a vegan; since I waited for him to assess my health before I broke the news about my plant-based lifestyle.
I say that not to brag, but to provide evidence that when you actually replace animal products with the proper plant sources of fat, protein, and iron, becoming a vegan is actually an intelligent and efficient option.
Plus, by being a vegan, by default, you consume less than 1% (basically 0%) of your daily allowance of cholesterol. You still consume a lot of fat, but virtually no cholesterol.
But in my experience, most people either A) don’t know this, B) don’t believe this, or C) don’t care.
Therefore, there are many people who believe in God but who are unable to bring themselves to believe that becoming a vegan is a sustainable lifestyle. They would have great difficulty in denying their belief that consuming animal products is necessary for proper nutrition.
That’s why I think it’s such a great, and difficult, question to answer.
Assuming you’re not already an atheist or agnostic, or vegetarian or vegan, which is more difficult, to become an atheist or a vegan?
I think I am the perfect person to propose this question.
That’s because I am not the stereotypical vegan. Most vegans, as this infographic below demonstrates, are liberal, non-religious females.
Meanwhile, I am a Libertarian (socially liberal, fiscally conservative), religious male.
For me personally, the answer is obviously simple: It’s easier to become a vegan, but impossible to become an atheist.
My faith is God is non-negotiable. Sure, I will go to my grave with questions I don’t understand about God, but to me, that’s what real faith is anyway.
And I’ve already been living the vegan lifestyle for nearly 4 years.
I’ve “been there, done that” when it comes to answer the vegan question.
But what do you think? What’s your answer?
Assuming you’re not already an atheist or agnostic, or vegetarian or vegan…
Which would be more difficult: To become an atheist or a vegan?
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