Changing my focus

I haven't blogged in a very long time, 2006 actually. I'm ready to start again, this time, however, it won't be primarily about politics. I am still a political junkie, but other aspects of my life are far more interesting (hopefully) than my political observations. So, the focus of this blog has changed, effective today, to commentary on my everyday life.

I'll start by re-introducing myself as an animal welfare activist, a vegetarian of 22 years, a vegan of 7 months (though I ate a little cheese yesterday and got sick - won't be doing that again!), a survivor of thyroid cancer, the oldest child in my family and first grandchild, an adult child of alcoholic parents, and an entrepreneur. I volunteer with a group called the Spay Austin Coalition advocating spay/neuter as the most effective long term solution to the animal overpopulation problem. Every year more than 13,000 dogs and cats are killed at the Town Lake Animal Center here in Austin, TX simply because they have no human to take them home. The killing of animals is basically a full time job paid for by the taxpayers. One of my goals is to make this job obsolete.

I became vegetarian shortly after I had my thyroid removed in 1986. I don't know if it had anything to do with the radiation treatments or if it was just a personal decision. I was always really picky about meat and would leave pieces of it on my plate called "thingies" that I refused to eat. It made my mother furious, but maybe it was an early sign that as an adult I would refuse to eat it altogether.

I've been living without a thyroid gland since the day before my 19th birthday, which will be the topic of lots of posts, I'm sure, because it is creating some health problems for me now, 22 years later. The most annoying is that I have a form of arthritis called gout which is usually found in people who eat a high fat, high protein meat based diet and those who are obese. I fall into neither of those groups, but I have it nonetheless. It used to be mainly in my fingers and toes, now it is severely affecting my right shoulder.

My goal with this blog is to share my experiences, get feedback from others, and maybe even help someone going through the same or similar trials and tribulations in their life. I'm hoping to use this outlet as a way to come to terms with some of the things that have affected me (over which I had no control as well as those if my own making), and find peace with the person I have become.

I'll leave it at this for today, but I will commit to posting at least 3 times a week, with the goal of a daily post. Who knows? Maybe I'll get really into it and make several short dailies. Thanks for visiting and I hope you'll re-visit soon. Sphere: Related Content