Soooo, I know I made this post a few pages back here about being patient with people who make anti-vegan comments, but today, 11 months after starting veganism and having to listen to this garbage, it's starting to really grate on me. And I'm on vacation, too, so obviously this is really bothering me.
I have not snapped at anyone yet, but I feel like I want to.
Rationally, perhaps the comments can be classified as "not that bad," but it definitely also gets old.
The other day, I was at a work function at a baseball game on a Friday after work and my direct supervisor/'boss' hadn't talked to me at all much less acknowledged me or my fiance. Not that I was trying to keep track or care, because I wasn't trying to talk to her either. There's a lot of dislike I have towards this person, but I won't get into that. Anyway, it just astounded me that after not having talked to me at all, the catering people finally bring in the black bean burgers for the vegetarian/vegans of the office and she walks by my fiance and I eating and kind of smirks and says simply, "Is that the vegan option?" Really? She has nothing to say to me all day, and THIS is the comment she goes for? All righty.
Yea, I know, this doesn't sound like much to get worked up over, but when you have a litany of stupid tiny remarks like this all the time, it just makes me want to be like, "Okay. Okay. WHAT. WHAT the ___ is your problem?!" It's particularly irksome because these kind of people act like it doesn't bother them necessarily, but then will make stupid comments like that every time you eat something. Please note, I have NEVER even once made a comment to anyone about why they should go vegan or anything about veganism in any manner. Everything they are saying is apparently all from some internalized bull shit, with no fodder from my end. If they want to ask me why I went vegan, then whatever, I'll answer, but I'm not "sanctimonious" about it, though I understand people usually apply that descriptor anyway. (How many times have you heard someone doing something environmentally friendly such as recycling and being called a "tree hugger" or "hippie?" for instance. People always immediately make fun of people like this, even if they aren't saying anything to them. People who have negativity towards this for whatever reason are inevitability thinking, "Look at this naive person, they think they're going to save the world! LOLSIES!") I do understand being vegan makes people uncomfortable and they internalize a lot of crap, but GOODNESS GRIEF, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE! These people are just as annoying, if not worse, than those special group of insecure tightwads who always feel the need to shout out "MACS ARE STUPID!!!" (or vice versa) even if you didn't say if Macs are better or not than PCs (or vice versa).
Unsolicited commentary is really just annoying. Has this happened to you lot at all, and what have you done about it? While I want to be as courteous and professional as possible, I don't feel the need to be some sort of door mat that has to absorb all this commentary just because I'm the closest vegan. I don't really know what to say without sounding annoyed. Maybe a terse, "Stop," would suffice?
Another recent incident at the office is when I was going to grab a lunch box. Our office is creative and we have lunch and learns, where product representatives come and talk and bring lunch so we can eat while they present. Anyway, we put in our order in advance so when we go into the meeting room, we just grab the lunch. I ordered something plant-based, of course, but that doesn't matter. So I walk in there with my vegetarian coworker and we are going to the side table to grab our food. My other coworker, who has made a lot of anti-vegan comments upon someone else telling him I was vegan, blurted out, "Lots of bread and butter for imadandylion!" Yeah, no.
Why does this comment annoy the _____ out of me? Three reasons. (1) Probably because I'm a cook/baker by hobby. I understand lazy people who don't want to bake bread because they classify anything as taking any amount of time is "hard" (e.g. waiting for dough to rise when in reality you are not standing attentively, staring at the dough and waiting it for it to rise... but that's definitely my own irrational annoyance, I guess), so therefore they do not ever even attempt to begin a task as basic and inexpensive as baking bread. So how would they know what bread is composed of? It definitely doesn't need dairy or eggs. (Yes, I understand some places make breads with dairy/eggs.) I guess i just don't like people sarcastically joking about what I can or can't be eating, when they don't even know what goes into food. Ironic, because most of the world think it's soooooooo "sad" that kids can't answer where their food comes, but yet most adults don't either... much less know how to make the food. Yeah, sorry, that came off a little scathing, but I'm just really frustrated over stupid comments like this. I mean, what did I do really? I just walked into a room. And I needed to hear that comment, why? There was really no point to the comment. We're not friends. And I especially do not respect this person as a competent coworker. (2) I hate when people assume I even like bread and butter or that I am otherwise craving a food that people commonly like. Stop assuming I am "missing" something when I am perfectly happy eating my plant based food that I made zero comments over. (3) The other thing I noticed is that the bread and butter is specifically and sarcastically "for" me, but not my vegetarian coworkers. Now, I know vegetarians do eat dairy, but no one ever gives vegetarians shit about being vegetarians, and I'm definitely not saying anyone should be giving them shit, but really, no one needs to give anyone any shit.
In these cases, I didn't say anything because I was employing my usual "brick wall routine" but it's been nearly a year, and people are STILL making stupid little comments like that. Maybe people might think I'm "sensitive," but honestly, as a bonafide introvert I just prefer to recede quietly into the background.
I was also accused of forcing my fiance to become vegan by my brother-in-law, but he's an idiot, so whatever. But still. Annoying. My fiance's a grown man. He makes his own decisions. You can't "make" someone decide to make the multiple choices that occur on a daily basis to consume or not consume something. We've been doing this for a while now. Why are people still commenting like it's a new thing? Seriously, sometimes I just want to dramatically stand up if I'm not already, throw my hands up, and exasperatedly exclaim, "All right, that is IT. Okay?! NO MORE." But I don't know if that's the best route. I still need to work here and see these incompetent, untalented people every day. There's a lot more comments and crapping-on, I just chose to write about the most recent ones.
Sorry if this is off-topic or too negative for this thread. I just don't feel like there's a lot of people I know who would understand except my fiance. Any advice on how to take the high road would be greatly appreciated.
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And because I should probably contribute something positive to this thread...
Daily Dozen App - Yes! I've used this. I could be more diligent about checking things off every day, but when I have used it, it has been a helpful reminder or method to plan meals or otherwise throw in something at the last minute to check something off the list that I otherwise wouldn't have. Usually I'm not very good about nuts/seeds or "healthy fats."
Someone commented on hummus being a great thing that's also inexpensive to bring to a potluck. That is a great idea and something I usually like to bring to parties too, with some cut up vegetables, tomatoes, and crackers. I like to keep my contributions to potlucks inexpensive, too, so here's an idea: Three bean salad. I once brought a homemade three-bean salad to a work potluck and it was a hit, surprisingly. I don't know why I was surprised, really, but I'm happy I brought it because there were some people who aren't necessarily vegans or vegetarians and they told me they were glad I brought it "couldn't find anything else to eat" at the potluck because they're so picky. It's just three beans of your choice, vinegar (apple cider vinegar is preferred), and sweetener of your choice (usually cane sugar or maple syrup), parsley, chopped celery, and good ol' salt and pepper - marinate overnight or a few hours prior to serving. One of the easiest things ever.