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Looking at people differently
Started
by Catherine J
on June 21, 2012
Hey!!
I'm a baby vegan (only like 1 month in) and as I'm researching and reading so much information on the subject, I feel like I wanna scream out to everyone "STOP WHAT YOU'RE EATING!". I wanna let everyone know what I learn, but I know I sound like a broken record doing it. Then everyone has some sort of joke or explanation for why they make their choices. I know I should just keep it to myself (which is what I have now decided to do), but I find myself looking at my friends, family, and boyfriend differently because I don't understand how after they hear about the fear and pain an animal goes through to get to their plate, how they can just continue on as if they heard nothing. They are just choosing to be willfully blind, and they continue to contribute to the horrid treatment of animals and the horrible effect on the environment. It makes me look at them differently...What can I do? :(
Hang in there ... I know this feeling too .... my family is fine and quite supportive but friends and colleagues would rather not know ... it can be frustrating as I could never turn a blind eye now. It definitely does feel like everyone else has blinkers on where as we all have our eyes wide open.
Just cook good food and slowly they might start to at least admit that being vegan means great food and might see it's not so hard either.
Plus, you'll feel so much happier and healthier and they'll start to notice ... it might make them think twice.
Try and connect with other vegans if you can .... find the society in your city, that sort of thing.
Catherine- I feel the exact same way! I used to feel the need to lecture, and now I just do what Kirsty suggested. Bringing really delicious vegan food to get togethers is such a great way to create a positive environment. It is way more powerful than preaching. I only talk about my choices when someone asks and TRULY wants to know. Some people ask and then when you're answering they start to laugh and talk over you. It's so silly. Hang in there! Keep making amazing food and sharing with friends and family... and hopefully they will see the light. ;)
Kirsty and Dottie, thank you so much for your helpful responses! Thank goodness we have these forums! I'm glad that I at least have this outlet to voice my questions, ideas, and concerns. I will definitely take both of your advice. I'll just do my own thing, make food to bring to groups, and definitely let THEM ask ME, if they want to. It's frustrating, but hopefully it will get better. It's amazing to know that there are other people going through the same thing (especially with that "laughing and talking over you" situation, that Dottie mentioned). Kirsty, that is a GREAT idea to connect with the community. I'm gonna look into that ASAP! I'll hang in...and hope for the very best! Thank you both, so much!!
I just posted a big response to this and it deleted it/didn't load. :(
I basicall said a BIG THANKS to you for that article! It was super helpful. I will defininitely keep all those tips in mind! Even with all the stuff I'm researching, some people are just SO stuck in their ways!
I also spoke about a recent lunch date with my friend that just graduated from med school. She referred to all my facts/scientific studies as my "beliefs" haha and that I was entitled to my beliefs just as she was (which is that animals are part of the food chain.. :|)...so we just had to stop talking about it. She thinks she knows EVERYTHING about nutrition because she read about it in school...and she thinks I know NOTHING because I didn't go to med school. She's truly a stubborn individual, and I don't wanna chat about it with her because of that. Funny how the advocate for eating meat and TONS of dairy hasn't pooped in 3 days, doesn't sleep well, is agitated, needs to lose weight, and is generally unhappy.
Some people just don't wanna change. :)
It is easy to be judgemental and frustrated with people but remember that for most of your life you looked at your food the same way as they did. Most of us were not born vegan. Becoming vegan takes an entire shift in consciousness and not many people will ever see things the way we do :(
Very true.
Sad...but true.
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