Posted by Shane Becker on
<p>i like to say that <a href="http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/">veganism</a> is my health insurance. b/c aside from a <a href="http://wisdomtools.com/">2 month</a> window in 2001, i haven't had health insurance since high school. and even when i was younger it was spotty, b/c we didn't exactly have a lot of money. my mom can testify to this (this was the thing that convinced her that me being vegan wasn't so crazy): i don't really get sick any more since becoming vegan. it's (<a href="http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000227.htm">!</a>) not like its a perfect track record, but it's not like before where i'd get sick for days to weeks at a time. i remember carrying cough drops and syrup with me everyday to school all of junior high and early high school. i would get a chest cold late fall and have it til baseball season. every year.</p>
<p>then i went vegan (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9_August">august 9, 1995</a> ... the same day Netscape launched IPO). i didn't get sick that fall/winter. and then again the next. that's when my mom noticed. <em>'wait a second, shane, you didn't get this year or last.'</em> that's when she when she decided it wasn't crazy.</p>
<p>like every rule there are exceptions. i do get a little under the weather sometimes. and even a little sick occasionally. like maybe once a year. only every few years top do i actually puke.</p>
<p>that was last night. i was walking from the kitchen to the living room when all the sudden i said (in a whimper of voice) 'i don't feel so good.' then all the sudden i was on fire with a fever. so i curled up in a sleeping bag. freezing and shaking while everyone was in just tee shirts. i was too cold slash woozy slash cold again to even read from the giant stack of comics i had right next to me. then... uh oh. i think i need to get up from the couch. i start walking to the bath while telling my body not to throw up yet. i look at nate and say 'not gooood.' make it into the bath, see the first piece of porcelain and then there's no holding back. all the lettuce from <a href="http://pfchangs.com/">p.f. chang's</a> i had earlier during <a href="http://www.fox.com/oc/">the o.c.</a> came right back up. i know, i know, i really should've aimed for the toilet, but my body saw a giant open chasm or porcelain. there was no stopping it. if i would've tried for the toilet, i would've gotten all of the carpet / rug and the toilet seat lid and stuff. it was for the best, i think.</p>
<p>then after that, like immediately after, i was world's better. still had my fever which i slept / sweated off. but by the time i woke up this morning i was all fixed.</p>
<p>so the moral of the story (even though i don't believe in morality) is veganism keeps me healthy.</p>
<p>Currently playing in iTunes: <i>Dead Ends</i> by By the Grace of God</p>