It’s funny, but when I became a vegetarian, I worried about what my friends would think. If this is how you feel, then you are probably in for a pleasant surprise. Most young people understand that being a vegetarian is a positive step that will help save many animals.
This does not mean, however, that they will want to join you, but some of them will move in that direction. Georgina Harris, a XNUMX-year-old Manchester resident, recalls: “All my friends thought being a vegetarian was cool. And a lot of people said, “Oh yeah, I’m a vegetarian too,” even if they weren’t really.” Of course you will meet people who will make pathetic attempts to test your faith in your beliefs. “Rabbit food is all she eats”, “Here comes the little bunny lover.” Mostly people make these kinds of comments because you are not afraid to open up and speak up. You need to have the courage to be different, and you show people that you are strong, but they are not, and it worries them.
Lenny Smith, a girl of sixteen, was pestered by her father’s friend with his comments. “He always bothered me with his comments about my excessive emotionality, said that I do not live in the real world. He teased me, and even though he had a smile on his face, I knew it wasn’t funny, he said it with anger. He did this because I am female and weak, or for some other reason. He often went hunting and one Sunday he went to his father and threw a dead rabbit on the kitchen table right in front of me and laughed. “Here’s a pretty little fluffy rabbit for you,” he said. I was so disgusted that for the first time I told him, in not quite decent terms, what I think of him, but it was not hysterical. I think he was shocked.”
Lenny’s story teaches everyone a lesson. Whatever you do, stay calm! It won’t be long before everyone gets used to the fact that you are a vegetarian, the jokes about you will become boring and stop. The reaction to your statement that you are a vegetarian will be genuine interest. The number of vegetarians around the world is growing rapidly, so be prepared for questions such as: “What do you eat?”. Northampton resident Joanna Bates, XNUMX, says: “At first my friends asked me if I missed meat, until they realized they preferred my food to their own. They also began to associate meat with dead animals, and four out of five also became vegetarians.”
Some aspiring vegetarians give up because all their friends congregate at local eateries. This was a serious problem in those days when there was no vegetarian alternative and even chips were cooked on beef fat. You can see How long of an impact vegetarianism has had because one of the biggest food chains now sells veggie burgers and makes veggie oil chips.
If you are invited to visit friends, then do not consider this as a problem. Once they find out that you are a vegetarian, most parents will try not to make it a problem. You can help them by giving hints, such as putting a veggie “meat” pie in the oven with their food and eating it with your friends. Sometimes friends and almost always enemies try to find weaknesses in your beliefs. The funny thing is that everyone thinks that he has the most original arguments and arguments. “I’m willing to bet you will eat animals if you end up on a deserted island and you have no other choice.” The answer – “Yes, I probably would have done that, but rather I would have eaten you if you were there” – this answer has nothing to do with the production of meat products, as well as the question. And now the most exciting question: will you kiss a person who eats meat? If not, then you may think that your choices are limited.
On the other hand, a wonderful person is still, and a vegetarian may be next to you, around the corner, or in the club you go to. If you want to meet a young vegetarian, then go to a place where such people gather: the local vegetarian societies, or environmental groups or animal rights activists. If you want to meet a vegetarian girl, apply the same rules, the only difference is that it is much easier, because there are twice as many vegetarian women as men. On the other hand, you can decide for yourself that you will kiss a meat-eater, but try to convince him and bring him to your side. Use all the same methods as in relation to parents – show videos of the conditions in which animals live and die. Be decisive and insist that you only go to a place where you can choose vegetarian food. If your partner refuses to change his diet, even after you’ve tried everything, then you really have a serious problem and you have to make a difficult decision – will you ignore him or help? On the other hand, if he respects your views enough to eat vegetarian food in your presence, then you can say that you are a winner. I have met some vegetarians who try not to even talk to meat eaters. I hope you don’t use this method to get people on your side. I can say for sure, based on my experience, that many managed to convince their companions to refuse meat.