The things that make us who we are

'How do you spell animal?' the young girl asks the back of her mum's head, clutching a permanent marker in her hand. Her mum tells her, not taking her eyes off the television. The girl remembers the combination of letters as she goes back into her bedroom where 'AN' is already written on the wall. She finishes the word with care and precision, 'IMAL.' The girl stands back, places the marker on her desk and looks at her work, she thinks this representation of what she loves looks good over the floral wall paper of her room.


She met him for the first time in the hallway, by the front door. There had been a knock at the door, the doorbell doesn't work and the familiar visitor knew this. The girl ran to the front of the house but waited for her mum to walk the hallway and open the door. The door opened to two guests; the girl knew the man who had knocked, he was the friend of her older brother, he greeted her mum but the girl wasn't interested in him. The other guest was what caught her attention, she was meeting him for the first time. On meeting her new friend, the girl didn't yet realise how he would change her, that he would teach her to love and respect all creatures, she would never be the same because of what they would build together. The girl fell to the ground and hugged her new best friend as he excitedly jumped all over her, licking her face.


The girl loved her encyclopedias and educational books. She would spend hours in her bedroom reading information on all sorts of topics. The sections she enjoyed the most, usually were about animals or the environment and she would copy these out in her notebook, word by word and trace the pictures. The girl came across a section on White Seals, there was a picture of an adorable seal lying in the snow. A fluffy creature with a tiny body, a cute round face. The girl read about the White Seal to horrifically discover that the babies are killed by way of clubbing and their fur used for clothing. The girl was outraged by this and thought everyone needed to know. She took the book with her to school and showed everyone the cute picture so they too could fall in love, she then went on to tell the people the horrible news about how they are beaten, their lives taken away from them for a selfish purpose. The girl knew they only pretend to care.


23 stitches the young girl had in her leg after she was bitten by the Blue Healer. In the hospital bed the girl asked what would happen to the dog. She had seen and heard enough to know what a cruel world she lived in and she wasn't stupid, the dog was to be killed. The girl didn't agree that the dog deserved this, it was his breeding that made him the way he was. The family loved their dog a great deal and would never let this happen again, they would keep him away from strangers if only he could live through this. It was only a slip in judgment and no real harm was done, the girl thought. The girl asked her mum to please not allow them to do it, the mum gave her daughter a look to say 'it has to happen.' Tears filled the girls eyes and she pleaded with her mum, she begged and screamed that a life shouldn't be taken. 2 weeks later the girl ran to the sound of the doorbell and opened the door. A young lady stood in the doorway holding a large koala teddy bear, she asked to see the girl who was bit by the dog. 'That's me,' the young girl responded and to this the lady handed her the koala, explaining that this was a 'thank you' for what she had done for their dog, her family couldn't appreciate it more.

Walking down the dirt road, the girl and her friend excitedly discussed their plans. 'We'll put flyers up in the shops.' 'We can make coupons.' The two girls planned to start a dog washing and walking business, after school and on weekends. When these girls hung out in their bedrooms, lazed out on the floor or bed, they would rarely speak of boys, instead these girls spoke about animals, passionately. They loved animals and hated the abuse and use of them that was seen all around. They planned to donate all the money that they earned washing and walking dogs to the RSPCA, they had no interest in keeping the money for themselves, they knew using it to help animals was more valuable. When the girls told their parents their plans, their parents couldn't say or do anything but give them looks that said 'darling, how do kids come up with this stuff?'

VCE at Kangan, the girl's class could orally present on the text they were studying or a topic of their choosing, they had free range. The majority of the class presented on either the text or on what was in the media at the time, gay marriage. The girl decided she wanted to do something different, something that would have an impact. She spoke to her English teacher for inspiration, she admired his view of the world greatly, how he would never be something or someone just because it was the norm or expected. He suggested that the girl might be interested in Australian philosopher Peter Singer's writing. The teacher thought the girl would be interested in this topic based on a creative writing piece she had done earlier in the year on the tortured experience of a dairy cow. The teacher had some of Singer's writing in his office which he gave to her as a place to start, she read with great interest the theories on Animal Liberation.

It was a Friday evening and the girl was driving home from work. A striking thought came into her mind. It was a thought in that instant which meant a significant and permanent change to her life. This girl was to be a vegetarian. She had lived with the guilt and disgust of eating meat for many years. For years she knew it was something she didn't want to be a part of but continued doing so, guiltily and painfully so. What it was about that moment, not a moment a year earlier or a moment a year later, she couldn't tell you. But there it was, she was to be vegetarian and there would never ever be another moment in this girl life where she would consider eating meat. Vegetarian, and although she didn't know it yet, veganism, would bring purpose and incredible happiness to this girl's world. And there she was, she had arrived at her destination.