Young Vegans Part II

After dinner, Maya, Mina and I went down to the Third Street Promenade, our big popular outdoor mall, to check out a vegan outreach demonstration that was going to couple animal-cruelty videos with collecting signatures for the Farm Animals Protection Initiative . I was going to try to collect signatures too while I was down there.

Maya told Ally and Tasha that they should come down too. I was nervous, but I told Maya I would be open. If Maya was willing, I had to be willing too. I think there are tremendous things to be said for second chances, or at least to filing down the edges of a first impression. Out on the street and on their best behavior because of my constant presence, the girls were fantastic, all of them. They were diligent and devoted; fearlessly handing out fliers relating to the initiative and directing anyone who hesitated long enough towards signing the petition. The vegan outreach booth was somber, it set a tone in contrast to the girls' bubbly and enthusiastic approach. We started walking up the promenade away from the demonstration and the girls came more alive, handing out fliers asking passing people if they wanted to sign to help stop animal cruelty. If only some refused Maya, Ally and Tasha, not many could resist Mina. She handed out the most fliers. When the slightest interest was shown, the older girls sweetly said, "It will only take two seconds to sign," and in I came for the close explaining the measure more, handing them the pen. It was accidentally brilliant; the precious opening and a quick close with hardly an effort. I told the girls nonstop how great they were and when I looked Ally in her eyes and told her how great she did, what a real difference she made, she smiled a child's smile and blushed. I hugged her before she left with her mom.

And Maya, Mina and I are taking our act on the road. We're going to try the adorable one-two punch on Sunday to collect signatures outside our Co-op.

Tonight, when the girls were tucked in their beds, which run parallel to each other and are separated by only a foot and a half, they chattered all jazzed up about the experience. Maya said, "Do you think we really made a difference? I mean, I feel like we did." I said, "We are thirty signatures closer all because of you guys." I'm pretty jazzed myself.