Worf’s a Vegan
I took this photo of Michael Dorn back in 2014
In the 1980's, I was introduced to Mr. Worf, the lone Klingon warrior serving as a Starfleet officer aboard the U.S.S Enterprise on Star Trek the Next Generation. Worf was strong, brave, intimidating, and ready to dive head-first into battle if necessary. As a kid, I quickly learned that if the crew had to beam down onto a dangerous planet, they'd probably be ok if Worf was on the away team. I've always pictured in my mind that Worf was a big meat eater. I could easily imagine the Klingon sitting at a table, devouring a big roasted leg of Targ for dinner, eating the meat right off the bone. It would be one of the few times to see the character smile with delight. Then he would go to the holodeck and practice his hand-to-hand combat skills. The dude's a badass!
While this may be how Mr. Worf lives and dines, the actor who plays him, Michael Dorn, does not. Michael Dorn is Vegan and does not eat meat or animal products. Instead, he lives and thrives on fruits and vegetables. After receiving a prostate cancer diagnosis in his 50s, the actor changed his lifestyle. A doctor presented information to him showing that he had never diagnosed a vegetarian with prostate cancer and made a compelling case for a change in diet. Dorn made the change. While it’s hard for me to imagine, the man who plays Worf probably enjoys Tofu!
One of the best Steaks I’ve ever had in Buenos Aires
I was listening to him tell this story in a podcast a few weeks back, and I found myself asking, could I do it? Could I switch to an entirely plant-based diet? I quickly answered, "no way", because I don't simply like eating meat. I love eating meat! I am a carnivore and take great joy in eating steak, roasts, BBQ's and bacon. My spirit instantly becomes elated with the smell of grilled meat and smoke. I've traveled the world seeking out great restaurants that do great things with cooking animals of the earth. So I asked myself again with an added condition; could I switch to an entirely plant-based diet if my life depended on it? My answer to that is, I hope so. I sincerely hope that if confronted with the choice to either survive or die early, I'd do everything I could to choose life.
Change is more possible than we make it out to be in our heads. It's not always easy, but things change all the time. That gives me hope.
In the words of another great star trek character,
“Impossible is a word that Humans use far too often”
Change is possible, and people prove it every day.
I never want to be at a place in my life where change is something I've decided is impossible. Hopefully, meat is something I won't have to give up entirely, but if it is, I'll take on the challenge like a Klingon Warrior!
Friend, thank you for reading, may you see the possibilities today wherever you go.
Quapla!