I’m thinking that many of us involved in any kind of activism wonder at times if all of our efforts have any effect on those we are trying to reach. Promoting what you believe in can be a thankless and daunting task, but my experience this weekend helped to encourage, rather than discourage me. I worked a table at the Wellness Expo in the town of Sonoma, in the heart of the wine country. Many of the visitors were there because they had an interest in their health. Many of them ate only some animal products, maybe just fish, or just turkey, or just dairy. Some just wanted to know what we were ‘selling’, and who was funding us. We told them that we were just volunteering on our own, representing the animals, the earth and our health. The reactions ranged from bafflement to amazement to gratitude. We had spirited and intelligent conversations and handed out literature. We showed them cookbooks, animal rights books, articles, charts and graphs, and collected signatures on PCRM’s Healthy School Lunch Program petition. At the weekend’s end, I was the grateful one. I am thankful that people take the time to listen. I am thankful for those who just glance our way. That one glance may be the seed for a future vegan – one less person involved in the cycle of violence and death of innocent non-human animals.