Am I a coward?
This is nothing to do with Hamlet, as the cut may imply. I just have a thing for quoting Shakespeare. This is about Veganism, and my own general cowardice in 'outing' myself to strangers.
People can offer you food at odd moments. It’s practically a ritual thing, which can be a problem if you’re a vegan. Whether it’s a cup of tea (how very British) or a chocolate, there’s a tendency towards politeness - a expectation that you’ll accept because that’s the correct thing to do. It can be a bit awkward explaining exactly why you’re refusing their generous gift. But I’ve found myself getting into a tendency to say ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t have milk’ (implying that I’m lactose intolerant) rather than ‘Thanks, but I’m a vegan’.
It’s just I’ve been getting more and more accustomed to certain people’s reactions when I say I’m vegan. The moment that sticks in my mind was when I was explaining to a friend of a friend why I wasn’t ordering pizza with everyone else. His reaction to the word ‘vegan’ wasn’t the best - it was the opposite of the best, disregarding any feelings I might have had and spending the rest of the night proclaiming how fantastically excellent meat is, making not-so-subtle glares in my direction.
But if a say I can’t have milk, it just becomes something I can’t help - something people won’t insult me for. Even though most people won’t react badly to veganism, should it matter that I say ‘I can’t have milk’ to avoid the few that will? I feels like it matters
Am I not standing up for myself in a roundabout way? Is this the same thing as being ashamed?
Am I a coward for doing this?
Lolcat to cheer me up
People can offer you food at odd moments. It’s practically a ritual thing, which can be a problem if you’re a vegan. Whether it’s a cup of tea (how very British) or a chocolate, there’s a tendency towards politeness - a expectation that you’ll accept because that’s the correct thing to do. It can be a bit awkward explaining exactly why you’re refusing their generous gift. But I’ve found myself getting into a tendency to say ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t have milk’ (implying that I’m lactose intolerant) rather than ‘Thanks, but I’m a vegan’.
It’s just I’ve been getting more and more accustomed to certain people’s reactions when I say I’m vegan. The moment that sticks in my mind was when I was explaining to a friend of a friend why I wasn’t ordering pizza with everyone else. His reaction to the word ‘vegan’ wasn’t the best - it was the opposite of the best, disregarding any feelings I might have had and spending the rest of the night proclaiming how fantastically excellent meat is, making not-so-subtle glares in my direction.
But if a say I can’t have milk, it just becomes something I can’t help - something people won’t insult me for. Even though most people won’t react badly to veganism, should it matter that I say ‘I can’t have milk’ to avoid the few that will? I feels like it matters
Am I not standing up for myself in a roundabout way? Is this the same thing as being ashamed?
Am I a coward for doing this?
Lolcat to cheer me up