It’s not only our responsibility to change the world in the best way we know how. It will make us stronger and better people… more patient, kind and tolerant. This is what I learned today.

This morning I was holding a ‘vegcoach.com.au’ sign to get the attention of people running in the Bridge to Brisbane annual run. I had a small altercation with a runner-by and watching my own reaction, I realise I can learn a lot about myself by-the-by working to improve my world.

My first reaction was to write a post about how it’s hard to go against the grain, and also how ashamed I was that I had this altercation. That’s the post below the horizontal line.

I’m adding this (everything above it) because I realised I missed the point – the altercation is just an alarm bell, telling me that something’s wrong upstairs. I can learn from it and improve myself.

[I still feel self-conscious about video, but I know I have to work through this and accept myself as is]

This morning was the Bridge  to Brisbane annual run – thousands of people run from the Gateway Bridge near the airport to the center of town, about 10ks.

Last year some of my veg friends went along to hold up signs with reasons to go veg – facts about climate change, health, and little encouraging sayings. I knew that wasn’t the type of thing I was into, so I stayed at home in my warm bed.

This year – especially after having written posts like More Action, I felt I should do something about my desire to change the world. It was the integral thing to do and I knew if I didn’t go along, I’d regret it after.

Anyway, here’s a video – in which you’ll see a bit of Brisbane (a good looking bit too), and hear something about going against the grain to change the world.

Basically, sometimes it hurts. No big deal – it’s well worth it. But you do get pushed out of your comfort zone sometimes.

Big Mistake

As a side note, I did something I really not proud of.

Someone yelled out at me “they must be paying you a lot to hold up that stupid sign.”

I called “fuck off.”

He yelled back “fuck you.”

What a useful interaction.

I’ve actually done that guy a huge disservice – by increasing his prejudice against vegetarians (and rightly so, in this case).

Still, I had a two second window in which to choose how to react, as he ran by – and as we all know, our first impulse to react is not usually the best option we could choose.

Live and learn. I don’t make this mistake too often, I’m generally more detached and level headed these days, one mistake is forgivable in my books. I do feel sorry for that guy, whose (possibly) only interaction with me was so utterly unpleasant.

So in case you’ve been listening to Sandi toot about how nice I am (I am nice too), now you know the real story – not always. I’m very human, regretfully so.

I know, you’re probably shocked, imagining this interchange happening between me and a stranger on an otherwise beautiful Sunday morning. Funny what the world makes us do isn’t it? Reminds me of how vigilantly we have to guard our hate and how energetically we must celebrate our love.