Hello from Oklahoma!

[Richard R. Barron]

Hello, everyone. I am Richard R. Barron, a professional photographer living in southeastern Oklahoma. I was raised in the Episcopal Church but I have been an atheist since my early teens. I have been a vegetarian since 1989, and a dietary vegan since 1994. I talk about all kinds of things on my blogs at http://richardbarron.net, including issues we face as atheists and vegans. I am pleased to be a part of this forum and look forward to participating.

[Jebus]

Welcome Richard. Nice to have someone with so many years of veganism/atheism in the community.

[miniboes]

Welcome to the forums!

I love your pictures, your blog is very well written. How did you become a veg*n?

[Richard R. Barron]

How did you become a veg*n?

When I first moved to Ada, Okla., in 1988, I found healthy dining difficult to find in the community; Ada's a steak and potatoes and Tex-Mex town. A vegetarian friend of mine who knew how to cook showed me some fairly simple recipes and I expanded on them. Of course, I felt healthier, but there also seemed to be more positive elements to it from my perspective … the moral aspects, the environmental benefits, all the arguments we've all heard before and since. It felt right on a fundamental level.

In 1994, I challenged two other vegetarian friends of mine to go vegan for one month. That month proved to be so positive that I stayed with it, as did one of the two friends.

When I got married in 2004, I added some egg and dairy items back into my diet so my wife and I could do things together like go to breakfast, but I always kept it as healthy as I could; egg-white veggie omelettes for example. Then late this summer I responded to the ice-bucket challenge with a vegan challenge to my blog readers. That was the middle of September and I have been vegan since then except for a particularly indulgent veggie burrito at Moab Brewery in Moab, Utah, which had some cheese in it.

For any non-vegans who might be reading this and thinking, "I have to have meat," hear this: a well-crafted and thought-out vegan diet is more delicious and satisfying than you can imagine. It is a completely positive aspect of my life.

[miniboes]

For any non-vegans who might be reading this and thinking, "I have to have meat," hear this: a well-crafted and thought-out vegan diet is more delicious and satisfying than you can imagine. It is a completely positive aspect of my life.

That is absolutely true. Every time I eat since I went vegan it makes me feel great, whereas before I might feel guilty or nauseous after eating. The chocolate junkie in me has not suffered at all either. You've been vegan for longer than I've been alive, do you notice any long-term benefits or issues of the diet after 20 years?

By the way, I saw on your site you like climbing, do you climb actual rocks or climbing walls?

[brimstoneSalad]

Welcome Richard, great introduction! I'm glad you've joined us, and I hope you like it here.

Looks like we went vegetarian around the same time.
Boy was the food world ever different then; it's amazing how available vegan products are now.

[TheVeganAtheist]

Hi Richard, welcome to the forum. Its great to have another experienced vegan and atheist in our ranks.

[Richard R. Barron]

You've been vegan for longer than I've been alive, do you notice any long-term benefits or issues of the diet after 20 years?

By the way, I saw on your site you like climbing, do you climb actual rocks or climbing walls?

I am 51 now, and I can say honestly that I have as much energy and stamina as I did when I was 18. I am seldom sick. I am very "regular." I don't have energy swings during the day - no "4 pm slump." I weigh a few pounds less now that I did in college. I don't have food cravings and I am not particularly temped by unhealthy foods; if there are doughnuts at the office, I don't even want one. In the outdoors and on the trail, I find myself limited by daylight and the amount of water I can carry, not by exhaustion.

I don't have any negative issues with a vegan diet.

I know this sounds like bragging, but I am telling you this as encouragement.

As far as climbing goes, for me it is a means to an end. When I am hiking and making pictures, the places I want to visit often require a measure of bouldering, mountaineering and canyoneering.