Re: Teenage years as vegetarian and fitting in.
I was by choice vegetarian from 15 till about 21 (and now again for the past two years).
In my particularly case, it wasn't hard to fit in as a vegetarian, in part because I think most people assumed I was vegetarian for religious reasons based on the fact I am obviously non-white (Indian, though sometimes I get a few people thinking I'm Latino or Black depending how long I've been in the sun). They seldom asked why I was vegetarian. Just as they seldom asked why a Jewish person was eating only Kosher items or why a Muslim person did not eat pork. There was plenty of bullying going around, but dietary choice was not really one of things where this took place. Perhaps also because the bullying/stratification meant that the school and the lunchroom was self-segregated by clicks - so there was much less forced interaction among different clicks of friends, unlike in classes or in after-school events or parties (where eating a full meal w/ or w/o meat rarely came up).
I've found that it seems adults during work lunches who ask why I'm vegetarian (it's the way I choose to show my respect and concern for animal rights) these days are the ones who try to find some sort of the hole in my dietary choices. Though lately if I try to preempt them and say I don't judge people's dietary choices and diet is a personal choice and there are other ways to show respect for animal rights, it usually dissipates their seemingly tension and probing questions.
In my opinion, the judgments of the more "militant" vegetarians/vegans have gotten under a lot of people's skin, and that is projected onto me unless I preempt it by comforting them with non-judgment and acceptance of their dietary choice as described above. Sometimes however I do wonder how much of the emotional reaction is due to emotional resonance or guilt with these judgments that many militant vegetarians/vegans level against meat-eaters. I wonder this because my periods of vegetarian and meat eating I did experience guilt over meat eating (many years ago) and animal suffering when I'd take a bite out kfc breastpiece for example even after having read the conditions of kfc animals. In any case however, I don't believe self-judgment and guilt are useful at all, so I always try to encourage myself and others examine their choices more objectively without such self-condemnation.
Oh and cheese pizza was/is the s***
I was by choice vegetarian from 15 till about 21 (and now again for the past two years).
In my particularly case, it wasn't hard to fit in as a vegetarian, in part because I think most people assumed I was vegetarian for religious reasons based on the fact I am obviously non-white (Indian, though sometimes I get a few people thinking I'm Latino or Black depending how long I've been in the sun). They seldom asked why I was vegetarian. Just as they seldom asked why a Jewish person was eating only Kosher items or why a Muslim person did not eat pork. There was plenty of bullying going around, but dietary choice was not really one of things where this took place. Perhaps also because the bullying/stratification meant that the school and the lunchroom was self-segregated by clicks - so there was much less forced interaction among different clicks of friends, unlike in classes or in after-school events or parties (where eating a full meal w/ or w/o meat rarely came up).
I've found that it seems adults during work lunches who ask why I'm vegetarian (it's the way I choose to show my respect and concern for animal rights) these days are the ones who try to find some sort of the hole in my dietary choices. Though lately if I try to preempt them and say I don't judge people's dietary choices and diet is a personal choice and there are other ways to show respect for animal rights, it usually dissipates their seemingly tension and probing questions.
In my opinion, the judgments of the more "militant" vegetarians/vegans have gotten under a lot of people's skin, and that is projected onto me unless I preempt it by comforting them with non-judgment and acceptance of their dietary choice as described above. Sometimes however I do wonder how much of the emotional reaction is due to emotional resonance or guilt with these judgments that many militant vegetarians/vegans level against meat-eaters. I wonder this because my periods of vegetarian and meat eating I did experience guilt over meat eating (many years ago) and animal suffering when I'd take a bite out kfc breastpiece for example even after having read the conditions of kfc animals. In any case however, I don't believe self-judgment and guilt are useful at all, so I always try to encourage myself and others examine their choices more objectively without such self-condemnation.
Oh and cheese pizza was/is the s***
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