Success with loved ones

[evilnumberlady]

I don't want to dredge up the original thread since it's rather old now, but when I first became a vegetarian I came here for support because EVERYONE in my life was giving me a hard time about it. I was especially sad about the reaction my boyfriend had.

Well, months later everyone seems to be OK with it. My dad HATED the idea of me not eating any meat, until I happened to mention that cholesterol only came from animal products. Now he keeps talking about how he should start eating more like me, as he has cholestrol problems. (Not counting on him actually doing it, as I know him too well, but it's nice to know he thinks I'm healthy.) My mom was really upset at first too, and practicaly begged me to at least eat fish. She hasn't said anything lately, but the vegetarian recipe books she bought me for Christmas seem to indicate she's accepted it.

My boyfriend, though, who had the most violent response has really mellowed out with it. I know he still doesn't agree with me, but he's stopped freaking out about it and defends me against the people who speak ill of my eating habits. He even made me a comic about my experiences that made me laugh. (You can see it here if you like, though you won't understand the last panel... it's kind of an inside joke. http://www.msu.edu/~sanbor18/Half_Alive/018.JPG)

I just wanted to thank you all for supporting me while everyone in my actual life was flipping out. I really needed that.

[PurplePoe]

Oh boyfriends, aren't they wonderful? When I first started dating my guy about 6 years ago he thought the idea of being a veggie was nuts. Now he has no problem with fighting with cashiers at fast food restaurants when it comes to "special orders." My favorite was at Wendy's when I asked for a Mandarin salad without the chicken and the cashier said I couldn't have it that way since all the salads were pre-made. Before I could say anything my boyfriend (now fiance) goes, "you'll make it, and I'd like to see your manager." Needless to say the manager was ticked off at the cashier for her rudeness, and I got my salad.

I think he gets a little "macho kick" by protecting his "little tree hugger."

Poe

[SoCalCavies]

[FONT=Century Gothic]Maybe I've lived in California too long (where EVERYONE is vegetarian), but why in the world would anyone be opposed to someone being vegetarian? [/FONT]

[HowietheGreat]

I think people feel defensive because they feel as though they are being looked at as being evil or mean for eating it. Eric and I will have been dating 6 years in July and he has been supportive of me being a vegatarian from the first day we met. He understands why I am and he supports the ideas of free range and no hormones for farm animals. We buy organic chicken and beef when it is available for him. I cannot understand people not accepting it. When I became a vegatarian 11 years ago, it was not as common place on the east coast. Now, it is more of a widley accepted way of living. I'm glad to hear that your family is coming around.

[evilnumberlady]

Originally Posted by SoCalCavies

[FONT=Century Gothic]Maybe I've lived in California too long (where EVERYONE is vegetarian), but why in the world would anyone be opposed to someone being vegetarian? [/FONT]

People think that it's unhealthy, that I think I'm better than them because I am one, that I'm being un-Christian (I can't explain that one too well without breaking forum rules, though), that I'm weird, that I'm crazy, that I can't ever go out to eat with them, or that they can't ever eat in front of me. Basicly, it tends to make people angry and/or uncomfortable with me.

My mother hated the idea because she thought I couldn't ever be healthy while on a vegetarian diet. My boss and the guy in the cubicle across from me at work feel the same way. My mother used to buy me fish and leave it in my refridgerator. My boss has to have a little "talk" with me about my eating habits anytime I feel at all ill. (He's genuinely worried about me, just misinformated) and the guy who sits across from me at work has to tell me at least once a week how if I have children that I should stop being a vegetarian during my pregnancy and not feed them a vegetarian diet while they are growing up because it could kill/undernourish them.

My father is an avid hunter, and mostly was upset because he thought I would hate him because he shoots animals. He was also sad that I would never again eat one of his venison dinners, which he was always so pleased to be able to provide to us. Venison was always my favorite meat as a child.

My boyfriend thought I was misplacing my concerns, and that I should focus on what Christianity says is wrong, not how I personally believe. He was also upset because he wants to continue to eat meat and was worried I would try to strongarm him into being a vegetarian himself. Even now, he looks dismally on the idea that if I become his wife I'll never be able to cook him a meal that contains meat. He is sad that we can't share sushi together like we used to.

My friends and brother mostly seem weirded out by it. My friends ask me questions like "Is it OK if I talk about meat?" or "We decided to let you pick which place we go to for dinner, because we want to you be able to eat." My brother asked me who I met that convinced me to become one. "No one," I said, "I don't even know any vegetarians." He thought it was very strange that I would become something when no one he or I has ever met felt the same way.

In a state where there is so much hunting and fishing, I'm afraid there aren't many vegetarians. So vegetarians are very very strange.

[tcarey]

I live in a province where vegetarianism is far from the norm as well -- there are a lot of hunters and cattle ranchers here.

I finally told my parents a couple weeks ago that I had become a vegetarian, and my dad told me firmly to "be careful!" and make sure I got all my vitamins. We have a history of colon cancer and colitis in our family though, so he became a lot more accepting of my choice when I told him that not eating meat reduced the risk of colon cancer.

I haven't yet told any of my siblings though -- they already think I'm a bit weird so I don't really know how to go about mentioning it. I hope it comes up naturally in conversation one of these days.

My husband is very supportive, and though he still eats meat when he eats out, he also likes the meatless meals I cook.

My work colleagues have been the most supportive of all, and were actually part of my inspiration and motivation to become vegetarian: they have both radically changed their diets as one copes with recovery from breast cancer, and the other with a recent diagnosis of MS.

It sure is good to have a forum like this to come to and get support and advice when needed!

[SoCalCavies]

[FONT=Century Gothic]VERY INTERESTING!!![/FONT]

[Terekins]

I had very similar responses from people around me. I couldn't understand why my boyfriend was becoming so angry, and I see now that he was afraid. Afraid I was changing, afraid I was eventually going to grow apart from him because he ate meat...afraid he was going to be forced into giving up meat. It's so strange the way people react to vegetariansim.

[FuzzButtLover]

What if we get our way though? I am trying to become a vegitarian with a non-vegitarian family of 5 hovering over me (brother's making fun of me). But what if we get our way and everyone stops eating meat. Will the people not even care about meat bearing animals and all of them eventually go extinct? If they don't find a use for them, what if they just throw them out of the world. This is just something I have been thinking about, what do we do after everyone turns vegan/vegitarian (doubtful to ever happen though)??

[evilnumberlady]

Originally Posted by FuzzButtLover

What if we get our way though? I am trying to become a vegitarian with a non-vegitarian family of 5 hovering over me (brother's making fun of me). But what if we get our way and everyone stops eating meat. Will the people not even care about meat bearing animals and all of them eventually go extinct? If they don't find a use for them, what if they just throw them out of the world. This is just something I have been thinking about, what do we do after everyone turns vegan/vegitarian (doubtful to ever happen though)??

I think it's hard for us at this point in time to come up with a real plan for what would happen to meat-producing animals if everyone stopped eating meat. That kind of change, if it ever happens, won't be overnight. Maybe some of those species could go back to being wild animals, maybe some could become pets. Maybe by the time it happens their genes will be so manipulated that they can't serve any other purpose than to be livestock for humans and the humane thing might be to let them go extinct. It's a better fate than the misery in existance they have now, so whatever the case, vegetarianism something to strive for.