Day 26 of Turkey Talk - Interview with Ashley Alderson, Animal Care Intern
Do you have any Thanksgiving traditions?
My Thanksgiving tradition used to consist of my entire family getting together making pies, jokes, watching football, and just enjoying each others company the entire day. Now that most of my family members have passed on I've decided to start a new tradition: surrounding myself with friends and like-minded individuals and spending the day putting positive energy into volunteering. The holidays are especially tough on people who have lost important loved ones so I've decided to make the most out of these specials days by giving back what I can with hopes of making someone else's gloomy day brighter.
Are your friends and family accommodating to your vegan diet over holiday meals?
Absolutely! Even though I do get some laughs out of bringing my own Tofurky (BYOT), they have and always will be supportive because that is what they do. Hopefully my mad kitchen skills will one day convince them that veganism is the way to go!
How do you handle non-vegan Thanksgiving dinners?
I haven't really had any issues with this particular situation partly because everyone in my life has been so accommodating. I always bring something to a gathering so I can eat that, eat nothing at all, or just drink all of their wine and enjoy everyone's company.
Who is your favorite turkey at Animal Place?
That is a tough question. I have two: Sass and Wyatt. Sass, because she is the lowest ranking of all of the girl turkeys and gets picked on (literally) by the majority of the group. She is the sweetest, most timid one and reminds me of myself growing up and dealing with the struggles of being bullied. Wyatt, because he is dealing with some inner struggles and has some repressed issues. I just want to be his friend and help him through his angry past turkey life. I know there is a sweet turkey somewhere in there and want to bring out the best qualities in him. Wyatt has potential and deserves a second chance, like all of our other turkey friends.
What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
I'm going to go with the old classic, green bean casserole. I recently tweaked my Mother's favorite recipe and it is just crazy good vegan style.
Thanksgiving means different things to different people, what does it mean to you?
Well, to me it means expressing your thanks to loved ones and giving back to what or who is important to you in your life. Spending time with relatives that you don't really get to see as often as you would like, donating your time to a good cause, and just surrounding yourself with love and positivity. Even though this is something that should be done more than once a year it is a great time to take advantage of these holidays when everybody has time off from work. Give thanks for that!
What advice would you give to vegans who have to eat Thanksgiving dinner at a non-vegan household?
Bring your own vegan dish and make it so spectacular that everyone else will be like "Oh dang, that's better than whatever I made that's loaded with butter, cheese, and animals that had to suffer and die." Then share your recipe with them and drink all of their wine in exchange. There is always a salad around somewhere too. Eat that. Be polite because it's Thanksgiving and just enjoy the company of your loved ones. It's not all about gorging yourself.
Interested in doing an Animal Care Internship with us?
Check it out! http://animalplace.org/animal-care-internship
