I was catching up with friends a few days ago in a Soho pub when I was asked a peculiar question.
It was a pleasant but not particularly unique West End pub and everyone around the table was friendly. It was a good time with laughter and socialising. Not unlike hundreds or thousands of social situations I’ve experienced.
And then I was asked by a non-vegan, “If you found out you only had a year to live, would you eat meat for the final year of your life?”.
How did I react? Keep reading below to find out.
The answer came out of my mouth before I even had a chance to think about it.
“No, I wouldn’t.”
There was no hesitation. No inner debate. Just a clear and confident response that surprised even me with how easily it arrived. I wasn’t annoyed by the question, and to be fair, I believe it was asked in good faith. It felt like the kind of question a curious non-vegan might ask in an attempt to understand the motivation behind a lifestyle that, from the outside, might seem restrictive or sacrificial.
But here’s the thing. Veganism has never felt like a sacrifice to me. It feels like a joy. A privilege. A way to contribute positively to the world around me. And in that moment, I realised how deeply this belief runs through me.
If I were told I only had one year left on this planet, what possible reason would I have to abandon the principles that have helped shape who I am? I wouldn’t suddenly want to take the life of an animal, or contribute to the environmental degradation caused by industrial animal agriculture. I wouldn’t find peace or pleasure in that choice. In fact, I think it would leave me with regret.
Being vegan is more than what’s on my plate. It’s about doing my best to avoid causing harm. It’s about respecting life. It’s about aligning my actions with my ethics in a world where so much is out of our control. Choosing to live by these values has never felt like giving something up. It feels like leaning in to kindness, to compassion, and to hope.
The benefits of living a vegan life are many. Less harm to animals, of course. But also a lower carbon footprint, a lighter environmental impact, and in many cases, a more equitable use of global food resources. There are community health benefits and emotional benefits. And all of it comes with the bonus of simply trying to do what’s right.
When everything else is stripped away, when the distractions and noise of life fall away, what are we left with? I believe we’re left with our ethics. The choices we made. The things we stood for.
If I only had one year left, I would want to know I stayed true to myself. That I kept my promise to live with as much compassion and integrity as I could muster. That I honoured the lives of animals, and the planet, and the people who share it.
For me, that would be the most delicious final chapter I could hope for.
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Thank you, dear friend, for your beautiful and heartfelt response to question posed…
No one can ever prepare you for how many hypothetical you’ll have thrown at you when going vegan.
If I had a year, a day or an hour the answer would still be NO. I’ll be vegan for the rest of my life.
Think it’s a really daft question tbh. Of course I would not. If I wanted to eat meat then I would. I haven’t eaten meat since I was 12 years old and I’m 46. I’d actually rather starve to death or eat blades of grass and sawdust.
I’d just say back “if you had a year to live would you eat a cat/dog/human/turd?” There’s your answer *eye roll*