Dear Flock,
I recently asked you to brag. #PRIVATE#So many of you darling flock members are so wickedly talented, and so I asked you to email me to tell me how you’re changing the world for animals. Well, I was — naturally — blown away by your responses. As I suspected, the smartest folks out there flock right here to our flock. It’s a pretty cool view, from where I stand.
The story of one fabulous flock member, Danielle Petitclerc, really got me in the gut. I asked her if she would mind if I shared her story with you. Danielle replied by saying, “What I’m doing really isn’t very big in the scheme of things, but if you genuinely think it can provide encouragement to someone else out there, then please feel free to use my email as you wish!”
That’s the thing about changing the world for animals. Change is made when each of us taps into our communities in our own unique way. Even if what you are doing doesn’t feel “big” in and of itself, when you look at the sum of all of our parts, that’s when things happen. That’s when cages and consciousnesses open. That’s when eyebrows, ruckuses, and life-changing conversations are raised. Here is one tiny example, which isn’t tiny in the least:
I only recently joined the Flock, and if I’d known how much enjoyment I’d get out of the “Flock Only” content, I’d have joined sooner! I’m a long-time listener of your podcast, and periodically revisit old episodes, which is always great fun. Our Hen House offers such amazing support to me in many ways, especially when you express your outrage regarding an issue that upsets me; since I don’t have a close network of like-minded people, it’s far too easy to wonder if I’m overreacting or being oversensitive. But if Jasmin and Mariann are pissed off, then I know I’m right!
You recently asked members of the Flock to tell you how we use our talents to change the world for animals. I’m not sure this really counts, but here goes! I live in Quebec, a Francophone province somewhat isolated amidst a mostly English-speaking population. As a result, veganism is very little known here; the very concept seems completely alien — mostly, I believe, because there’s so little material about the subject available in French. If we’re to change as a society, then this overwhelming need absolutely must be fulfilled. I happen to be a freelance translator, so I came up with the idea of providing a free or almost-free translation service to nonprofit and for-profit organisations that promote a compassionate lifestyle and wish they could expand their activities into Quebec, but lack the financial means to have their literature translated. I dubbed this service Translation for Compassion and included a page explaining its intent on my little company’s website. (It’s still a work in progress.)
Contacting organisations directly was the next logical step, but I’m so terribly shy! The only one I mustered enough courage to email was Mercy For Animals Canada. A few weeks ago, as MFA Canada was preparing its cross-Canada “Why love one but eat the other?” public transit ad campaign, I was completely ecstatic when they asked me to translate the three posters into French for the Montreal market (where it’s called “Pourquoi aimer l’un et manger l’autre?”). This major campaign was launched just this week!
It’s a small thing, but I’m over the moon about playing a tiny part in bringing this powerful message of compassion to a larger audience — one that I genuinely believe can benefit from being exposed to it. It was so empowering to be entrusted with this work! The fear of not being “good enough” looms constantly, but this experience has made me a little braver … so I’ve girded my loins and plan to be more proactive in the future. This experience has also given me the courage to become more active in my small town — to the extent my shyness will let me, that is!
Hugs to you, Mariann and Rose! I love you ladies!
Danielle Petitclerc
This week, let’s all let Danielle’s story motivate and inspire us. Ask yourself:
- What am I good at?
- What are my social circles (and other circles)?
- What fulfills me?
- And, the biggie: How can I translate what I’m good at into a way to change the world for animals?
There is no such thing as activism that doesn’t count.
xo jasmin