When you start the Vegan Trek, sooner or later it’s bound to happen. You see someone you haven’t seen in a while, either at the grocery store or the mall, or wherever, and then comes the question;

“Wow you look great, what are you doing?”

Usually you will respond with some pride; “I’m on a diet and I’ve lost (X number) pounds.”

“Really? What kind of diet?” They will ask, either with genuine or feigned interest.

“Vegan,” you say with a smile.

Then you get the look, and sooner or later you WILL get it.

The look like a third eye appeared in your forehead or antenna just sprang from the top of your head. A look that says; “So you are one of THEM.”

Why?

Well I think it has a lot to do with the way Vegan’s are portrayed in the media. They are usually seen as a hippie –a VW driving-tye dyed shirt wearin’-tree huggin’-PETA lovin’ weirdo. Which if you ARE any of those, there’s nothing wrong with that either. It seems, however that Vegan’s are seen as being on the left side of someone who saw an UFO or a redneck who had their trailer torn up by a tornado. Never do I think you will find that they are portrayed as someone who just wants to live a bit longer and enjoy being here.

Even popular comedians give you the impression that they would rather die young or leave behind a body that was well used as oppose to suffering with not being able to eat cake or beef jerky.

The funny thing to me is that I have in my time eaten; squirrel, rattlesnake, quail, deer, elk, and assorted other creatures, so why is it so difficult for us as a group to go from being a meat eater to a veggie eater? Everyone acts as though I am giving up all these great things, and after reading some of those labels I’ve come to the conclusion that some of those things aren’t all that great. I think that we are taught what we like and dislike, and I think that I have been fortunate that I was raised trying such “exotic” items as I listed above. Has it been an easy transition? In simple terms NO, and I do still crave some of those things that I have given up, but I can say that I am remarkably surprised at some of the things I have been able to come up with as substitutes for those things I do miss. If you had told me two months ago that I would be happily putting rice milk on my morning cereal I would have likely gave you the same look as noted above.

In our lives we have to put up with a lot of prejudices and misconceptions, but I guess that my best advice to you, should you decide to travel this road, is don’t give up and don’t give in to those people who would mark you as a “weirdo” and remember the goal here is a longer and happier life, and no one ever got truly happy from eating a piece of cake.