Oh no. Here we go again. Each time I sit down to eat with a group of people, the questions start flowing. "You're a vegan?" "What do you eat?" "Do you like salad? I don't like salad." "Is there anything on this menu you can eat?" "I could never do it." "I feel bad for you."
I am in no way ashamed of my vegan diet. It was my decision to eat plants and tofu. Yet, I do wonder why people have so many questions.
I understand that there are more meat eaters than non-meat eaters, and I understand basic curiosity. I had questions myself before changing my diet.
The thing that I find interesting is people's sudden "interest" in my health. Nobody once questioned why I was stuffing a double bacon cheeseburger into my mouth. Nobody ever questioned the second helping of ice cream, and certainly nobody ever questioned that large order of fries, so why now?
A vast majority of people cannot comprehend a vegan diet because it is largely different from the "traditional American diet." It is hard to imagine not eating meat, diary or eggs. Many vegans have personal reasons as to why they chose their vegan diet–many choosing it for health or ethical reasons.
Personally, I chose this diet for ethical reasons, and when people ask about my decision, they oftentimes do not want to hear my answer. I don't know whether it's that they do not care or simply if it's that they enjoy living in a state of denial. Either way, they seem to become defensive as if I offended them in some way. They say things like, "Oh, I could never be a vegan," "I like meat way too much" and my personal favorite, "Yeah, I would be vegan, but I don't hate myself." Yes, I've actually heard that statement a multitude of times.
I don't ask people to explain why they eat meat. I don't ask people to explain why they dip their cookies in cow's milk. So, why should I have to defend why I choose not to do those things? Why do people constantly feel the need to tell me that they could never be a vegan, or feel the need to tell me that they love meat too much? Wouldn't that be the equivalent to me saying, "I could never eat meat, I just love salad way too much!"
What I choose to eat does not concern others, and what others choose to eat does not concern me. I will always be willing to help those who are considering changing their diet, and I will always be willing to answer genuine questions. Yet, I do not want to be the subject of every dinner conversation. I want to talk about something other than what I am going to order. I want to talk about the latest episode of my favorite TV show, new music or even the weather!
I will never be ashamed of my diet, yet I will never be one to boast about it either. I do not feel the need to explain myself or my reasoning, as I would never expect anybody to defend their diet to me.