Im the only one who is vegitarian in my entire family. can someone give me advice and security about it?

im the only one in my entire family (including cousins, sibs, aunts, uncles, etc.) who is vegitarian. some of them hunt and it hurts that they do that out of pleasure. but theyre their own people so they can do what they want. so i feel like they thnk tht im crazy and are against it. i am a veg. because im sort of a tree huggr and animal lovr and i feel like people make fun of that. can someone help me be more secure w/ this? i dont really know 100% what to do. my mom and my brother are pretty much the only people that seem to like the idea. so im confused:) pls. help!





thx alot! 10 pts. for the best answer!Im the only one who is vegitarian in my entire family. can someone give me advice and security about it?
i'm the only vegetarian in my family [save for one cousin, but she lives in a different state], but i honestly don't care.


you need to learn to not care about what other people care about you.





i live with my mom %26amp; dad - i'm 15.


since i've become vegetarian, they both [my mom more though] have become more and more disgusted with meat commercials, and things like soda, which i also don't consume.





it's good your mom %26amp; brother understand, but honestly your family shouldn't think your crazy for your diet; afterall, you're family! sure, they might tease you and whatnot, but they could just be doing it in a playing way.





all my friends tease me about everything, and some even tease me about being vegetarian.


i guess i'm just used to it, and i know they're just kidding.





when i went down [or rather up, to wisconsin] to visit my brothers, they teased me about being vegetarian, but i could still eat my veggie product, and i proved to them that it was healthy for you, even if most of the foods like boca, morningstar, etc., have a lot of sodium.





one of my brothers is a big hunter, his father was [they're my half-brothers]. my other brother is a big fisher.


i have no problem with it, because, they're my family, and they have pretty much been brought up like that.





if anyone insults your diet, and they're serious, don't be offended. if they're so quick to judge, do you honestly think they're worth being friends?Im the only one who is vegitarian in my entire family. can someone give me advice and security about it?
You will alsways be in groups where you feel an outsider because of your views and belief systems. Throughout you life you will be faced with the problem of whether to go with the flow and be a fence sitter and stand up for your convictions. Also I often take comfort in this advice from Winston Churchill - ';You can please some of the people some of the time but not all the people all the time';. You life style choices and views makes you different but different is ok. You are happy but it sounds like you are feeling that you views makes you an outsider but thats ok - you are learning about conformity. At the moment you are not conforming to your social group who eats meat and hunts and that is ok. A great deal of good has ben done throuth out the world as a non comformist.





A non conformist sticks to what they believe and that they stand strong often when there is over wheming adversity and opposition. So if you are happy then surround yourself with other like minded people who share your views. Yes the members of your family who hunt and eat meat are their own person and so are you and now is the time to find the inner strength to stand up for the courage of your convictions. If you conform to killing animals and eating them you will kill that little bit of you that makes you different and stronger and a better person. No stand strong and who knows you may be a role model for other members of the family who see you as a role model good luck.





Also I ate very little meat growing up and my family thought I was insane. My dad would tuck into steak and eggs for breakfast, and stew for lunch and chops for dinner and chicken sandwiches for snacks. He claimed he hated lentils, beans or other vegetarian food. One day he was out and wnated to buy a shop made meat pie but the only pie about was a vegetarian one from a local health food store so he bought it and said it was wanderful. He was a firm customer buying one when he was in town and I think he was somewhat disappointed that he could not get that type of food at home but I notoced he ate beans and poached eggs and fried tomatoes and hos meat eating was cut down. So there is hope just stick to your ';guns';. Good luck.





Edit to Toph: I am really sorry to hear about your folks and their overt reactions to you not eating meat. I think its awful that your easter gathering was spoilt because of some smart alec response of puutting a animal product in every single dish - thats just so awful. what on earth were they thinking and what point did thye want to make? All intolerances are really ugly - imagine of you had announced you were gay or had converted to being a buddist! I think thats awful - we have tolerances in our family religious tolerances, nutritional tolerances etc. Good on ya for staying with your views.
Just don't worry about it. There arent many vegetarians in my family either, but i don't see what a difference it makes.


If they're making fun of you, ask them to stop. I mean, i understand that if they are giving you a hard time about it then it's more of a big deal.


But you said that you ';feel'; like they think your crazy. I'm not really clear on whether that means that are being mean to you, or if it's just in your head. I guess some more specific details about the situation would help us answer your question.





Ok, to me, it sounds like since your mom and bro ';seem'; to like that you are veggie, that no one has come right out and given you their opinion.


My family seems kinda ';whatever'; about what i eat, ya know? Like, me being veggie is fine, but they would be fine with me being a meat eater too. Just because they eat meat doesn't mean they would be against you being a vegetarian. Some people in my family probably don't even KNOW that i'm a veggie, but it doesnt matter b/c what i eat is my own business. And i'm not telling anyone else what they should eat.





Basically what i'm saying is that it sounds like (from what i know of your situation) that it's all in your head. You're worried that they wouldn't accept your new lifestyle, and that's understandable, who wouldnt be worried? I'm sure as you adjust you'll realize that you're family will always love you no matter what your beliefs are.





(PS-People who hunt usually eat the meat they catch, so it's not like they are doing it out of the sheer pleasure of killing. They're NOT bloodthirsty. They like the challenge, and that they get a dinner out of it. Since they're meat-eaters anyway, It's no worse than getting meat from a factory farm. At least the animal had a nice life in the wild.) I'm not thrilled with hunting either, but that's my understanding of it.
prepare an awesome meal. The best would be a foreign meal,


http://letsgetsconed.blogspot.com/


http://www.urbanvegan.blogspot.com/


like chinese, indian, italian, japanese food etc. and show how exciting and good veg food can be!


also, desserts are the way to a persons soul lol, make a good dessert, and their hearts will be satisfied
18 years ago I became a vegetarian. I have 7 siblings, and two parents who refused to believe I was committed to the idea.





The first meal I went home for after choosing vege. was Easter dinner, every single dish had meat in it. The salad had a bacon dressing, the mashed potatoes had suet in them, never before had my Mom used suet in the potatoes. The dessert was some kind of jello product. I sat there without eating for the whole meal. Sad truth is, I asked prior to dinner if I could bring something. They still refuse to allow me to bring food to the gatherings.





For many of the gatherings my Mom may ask everyone to bring something, they don't ask me. If I bring something most of them will not even try it. It is tough with family still.





Last year two of my nieces chose vegetarianism, I now have some company. They told me it is obviously healthy, they believe I look ten years younger than my youngest sibling. It is nice to finally get some support. They also have forced my parents to accept it more.





For support I was lucky, I helped start a small veggie ';commune'; (use the term loosely) two years after I chose it. I lived there for about nine years. We would cook dinners together and share new recipes. Residents could eat anything they wanted off the property, but on the property everything was veggie.





I believe you need support to continue. Hopefully you have friends, are old enough to make this decision and look outside of your home for support. Your Mom sounds like she'll be helpful. The rest of your family sounds like mine. They still believe I will return to eating meat.





Good Luck to you - you can always look here - Yahoo answers - for support, we're a good group of people.





P.S. don't preach to your family, it will turn them away. I spent five years not talking with my father, because my brother asked me a question about vegetarianism. My dad walked in only to hear my answer and thought I was preaching.





Feel free to e-mail me through my profile link, if you have any other concerns, or want to know more.
Don't eat animal products and grow a thick skin. You will have to put up with a lot of sharp jabs from people who don't understand. Now if you place your eyes on the sides of your head instead of forward that will ward off some of the jabs. You will always be fair game for them.
i am the only vegitarian in my family like you. Remember the following things. Bring veggie burgers (or something) when ever you eat at someones house. The family will always forget and put meat in their food or offer you a hambuger. You get used to it. The family gets used to it even if they don't always do the right thing.
run
I'm not a vegetarian but I don't like hunting or fur so I can kind of see where you're coming from. I wouldn't try to get people in your family to stop hunting. You'll probably just annoy them. You can just be more conscientious yourself and not buy leather or fur clothing, buy cruelty free products and don't eat meat. If your entire family eats meat you'll probably have to make and buy some of your own food. You can't expect your whole family to change or do extra work making special food just for you. There's nothing wrong with being veggie and it can be a healthier lifestyle choice. I have lots of vegetarian friends and because of them I've tried new foods (like tofu) and eaten in new restaurants that I probably never would have tried otherwise. Find some more ';tree hugger'; friends if you need some more support in your decision.
Hi.. It is hard sometimes to stand alone for what you believe in : it takes someone who follows their heart as well as their truth .. I hope this story gives you hope. When I became a vegetarian ..I also was the only one in my family as well as anyone I had ever met .. My Mom told me daily I would die and my family thought I had lost my mind .. To make a very long story short . as time went by and they became accustomed to my beliefs ..( and thought about why I became one even though I seldom spoke about it unless asked) ..I now have 2 Vegan sisters , 2 Vegan sons , a Vegan daughter in law , a Vegan grandson ..and my parents eat meat once a week at most , my other family members have all tried and enjoy vegan/vegetarian meals often as well as cut down their meat consumption through the years .. So my point .. hold out .. you WILL feel great with your decision because YOU cause no harm to live ..and live healthy .. Here is a quote from martin luther King Jr ..one of my favorites .. and PS ..Dexter Scott King (and his MOM) became Vegan .. as well as so many others through history .. ......................... .. '; Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?'


Expediency asks the question, 'Is it politic?'


Vanity asks the question, 'Is it popular?'


But conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?'





And there comes a point when one must take a position that is


neither safe,


nor polite,


nor popular,


but one must take it because one's conscience tells one that


it is right.





Martin Luther King, Jr. '; ........... goodluck ..just for fun read .. http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:TvNK鈥?/a> and http://www.happycow.net/famous_vegetaria鈥?/a> ......
1st of all you cant just give people points. but anyways.....


um....im the only vegetarian in my family too. i think you should ask them to stop killing those animals just for pleasure.that is mean.
heyy x


like you i am the only vegie in my familey and my uncle hunts, you just have to think that you are saving a life, and you are making one very happy animal live longer, try and convince them (your family) to understand talk them through what they are actually eating and all the pain and suffering that one poor innocent animal has gone through to have a ham sandwich when you can get quorn meat which is a vegetarian meat so is actually meat free and can save many lives. if people want to make fun of it then let them that is there problem just tell them that it is there fault that all the animals ae going extinct and that one day they will understand. This is where you no who is supporting you all the way and who isnt, just follow your mind and speak the truth hunni,


hope this helps


xxxxxx
I am a vegan which makes things even harder for me at my house. I am an animal lover but that doesnt matter really. Becoming a vegetarian is your choice. My family hunts quite alot too and I agree I feel sad about that. I would stay vegetarian and support what you believe... if you think eating meat is wrong then dont do it. No matter what people say. They are your family and they will love you no matter what.
i'm not a vegatarian or a tree hugger, but you are entitled to your opinion just like everyone is entitled to theirs. i don't force anyone to believe in everything i do, and whatever they do is fine, untill it interfears with my life. just do your own thing, and let them do theirs. just don't push your beliefs on them, and tell them to do likewise.


you really ought to try some bacon, it's delicious.