"aspiring veg*n but feel held back by meat-eating friends"

[Guest guest]

Hi all!

 

I've been a member of SFBAYVEG for about 2 months now

and this is my first post. Hooray! I've really been

enjoying reading what's going on out there in

veggie-world...thanks for all the great info!

 

In response to Tammy's question about what has helped

to begin / maintain a vegetarian lifestyle...

 

I tried unsuccessfully many times to be vegetarian

througout the 30+ years I lived in the Mid-West, but I

just couldn't let go of what I knew and loved. Meat -

eating was such a part of so many activities. Like

breathing, really. And, I'm actually one of those

vegetarians that LIKES the taste of meat, so it was

just always really hard to stick to a veggie-diet.

 

Immersing myself in an activist community here in San

Francisco where I've been surrounded by vegans has

helped immensely - I live in a completely meat-free

apartment now and that is super helpful! Also, there

are simply just more options in SF in terms of

veg-friendly restaurants, stores, etc.

 

In terms of making the initial choice to try it again,

I guess the big thing for me was just really

connecting with the political / ethical / emotional

reasons why I wanted to be vegetarian. A really

hard-core vegan friend of mine just laid it all out

about the torture that animals go through and I really

let that sink in.

 

Then, I took the time to educate myself again (I had

been avoiding animal lib sites, materials, etc so I

could remain in denial and could continue eating what

I wanted to eat). But after this friend laid it all

out, I just couldn't do it anymore. A lot of it was

timing and awareness and willingness to let go and be

true to what I knew was right for me, but if it

weren't for that person taking the time to speak out,

it probably wouldn't have happened when it did.

 

When I go back to Cleveland it's harder because I

don't have the support or the options, and in fact, am

actually criticized or called attention to in some way

at EVERY meal for being vegetarian (ugh!).

 

But, in some ways, those criticisms kind of fuel me

because I'm stubborn, so if you tell me it's something

I shouldn't do, well...it's just gonna make me more

likely to want to do it. Haha, silly meat-eaters!

 

And seriously, if I ever get a " craving " , it usually

just takes checking out a website and seeing the

atrocities that non-human animals suffer that curbs

it.

 

Anyway, hope that helps! Would love to hear more

about what works for others!

 

Thanks all,

 

Mary

 

" The illusion of freedom [in America] will continue as long as it's profitable

to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive

to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the

curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see

the brick wall at the back of the theater. "

-Frank Zappa