i am really pretty forgiving when it comes to "vegan awkwardness." when someone says something i wish they hadn’t said, animal-wise, i’m pretty good at just glossing over and moving along. if the situation is right, i might make a light comment to set things straight, but i really don’t get bent out of shape about most things, especially on the spot or out loud.
and i welcome discussion about veganism–when people ask me questions, either of a general nature or more specifically how i feel about something, i’m happy to talk about it. every once in awhile i feel a little "on the spot," or more commonly, i’m not sure how lengthy an answer they’re looking for so i sometimes rush my response–but i’m happy to engage pretty much anyone who’s interested in the topic.
there are two conversational dilemmas, however, that i have absolutely no patience for, and i’m still struggling mightily with how to handle them "correctly."
the first is dealing with that one person who, faced with my mere presence, has to talk about how delicious meat is. it’s like The Vegan shows up on the scene, and immediately the person’s brain goes straight to Animals As Food, and they blurt out something ridiculous like,"hey, had any veal lately?" i don’t understand exactly why this happens. i’ve read a lot about it; i know there are several theories and i guess it’s probably something about feeling defensive. i just don’t get why this reaction plays out every. single. frickin’. time.
second: dealing with the person who thinks the reason i have a cold is because i’m vegan. i’m sure you’ve all been there… you get a cold, or the flu, or your back hurts, or you have allergies, or whatever, and then the person you’re talking to says, "ooooh, well i worry about your diet," or, "hmm, i don’t remember you being sick like this before…" or, "that’s because you’re vegan!" i get so out-of-control frustrated when people say that to me. i don’t get sick very much, for one. and for two, the fact that i have a sore throat has nothing to do with the fact that i don’t eat animals or the stuff that oozes out of them! i have to instantly suppress the urge to ask them if that means they’re never ever ever ever ever ever EVER sick or something. ridiculous!
this is the dumbest post. i’m sorry. i guess i just needed to vent, because i’ve been dealing with these two hypothetical people a lot lately, and i’m sick this week. heh.
vegan chai 
On the second circumstance, my response is — “You know, meat consumption is positively correlated with all sorts of diseases, like cancer, stroke, atherosclerosis, and yet no one ever says ‘Gee, aren’t you concerned that eating all that meat is going to make you sick?’ With all due respect and I thank you for caring, but I think that your concern over the relationship between my diet and my present [cold, backache, allergy] is overrated.” Or something like that. And say it with a nudge and some good humor.
quagga–you are exactly right, and that’s a really close approximation of what i wanted to say yesterday afternoon. thank you for the validation! instead, when the hypothetical person smiled and tentatively said, “i’m trying to formulate an argument about your veganism,” (this person brings it up a lot if/when i get sick), i simply said, “well bring it on! i’d be happy to argue any point you make!” and just laughed. but really i wanted to be sassy.
People who push your buttons are doing so because they have “issues” of their own. They want to bring out negativity in you because they feel negative. What do you do? You take the button away! When they try to push them, the buttons will be gone. Just think about how crappy they must be feeling to try to bring something negative out in you!
Hello, visiting from randomizer. We aren’t vegan, just plain ol’ vegetarians, as are our 3 babies. People are always so “concerned” about our “extreme” diet. These are the same people who eat banquet meals for dinner and think that an appropriate snack for our kids are marshmallows. I guess “healthy” has become a relative term these days?
My mom is always commenting on how green I look or my poor deprived baby. But what does she know? She rolls her eyes because I still don’t allow my two year old processed sugar.
Oh and on the thought of Venessa, I met someone who was so proud that her daughter loved her vegetables (read as french fries). Sad.
thanks, everyone! it’s nice to know i’m not alone, and it’s always good to hear suggestions. xo