weddings, RSVPs & Vegetarianism in public :)

so i'm at a wedding saturday night and come dinner time is when i find out there had been no vegetarian option on the invite (i didn't get the invite). At this point i ask the staff what my choices are and they say 3 people have vegetarian meals and that's all that's been prepared. Having not had an option of (usually) Beef, Chicken, or Vegetarian on the invite how was i (or my boyfriend) supposed to know? is this something you just write on your RSVP?

I commend the staff there because they made sure 2 extra vegetarian dishes were prepared for us and even asked if they should prepare a vegan dish. At this time though, a couple at the table behind us began loudly commenting on vegetarianism and saying how as much as they "respected their decision" they just think it's completely un-natural. Can i please just go into public and enjoy myself without having my dietary preference ragged on?? I'm so sick of it. It happens every single god damn time. I never do anything to bring it upon myself, i never comment, never brag, never preach. I don't even tell anyone around me that i'm vegetarian. I just order my meal, or eat what's been given to me and say nothing. What can i say to people to calmly shut them the fuck up??

 

.........shut the fuck up you meat mouth

 

I had the same problem recently, actually. I went to a wedding reception with my fiancee and the only choices were beef tips and some chicken thing.

I was stuck chowing down on baby carrots, solely, because there wasn't a thing for me to eat, especially being vegan.

And I know what you mean about people being rude, and it gets to me a bit I suppose, but I just blow it off... usually those people just don't understand it well enough to formulate an opinion.

I posted a topic before about how my family and friends used to make fun of me and say stupid shit for being vegan, but now since they have learned about it and see that I'm healthy, and that I can still co-exist amongst non-veggies and eat in public [by modifying things, usually] they don't say anything bad.

Around here though, veg/vegan and organic lifestyles are becoming much more popular. I can go to just about any local store and find animal cruelty free products [like organic deodorant and such] and food to eat, and it wasn't like that a few years ago. There was actually a program on the news last night about how more organic and vegetarian options are beginning to sell more and people are more interested because of health reasons.

When I first went veg, when I was like 13 or something people were jerks about it...they were jerks up until about a year ago... now that it's more socially acceptable they leave me alone.

People just get offended by things that are "different"

It's funny because to ME, eating MEAT is unnatural. I grew up on it, but now, I don't even see it as an option, period... it doesn't even equate as food to me anymore... and I don't think about it.

People are always asking me if I "miss" meat or cheese, or ice cream, etc... and I honestly don't because it's not food in my opinion but whatever.

I did a whole lot of rambling and made like no point what so ever.

 

Oh, I do want to add one more thing.
I do have an aunt who is kind of retarded about it...
She will have family gatherings at her house all the time, and she's cool because she will usually make some easy vegan dish for me to eat, even though I ALWAYS ALWAYS offer to bring my own food [I know that I'm the minority, doesn't bother me]

But then the rest of the day is usually filled with an entire interrogation of why I don't even eat dairy or eggs "It doesn't hurt the animal" and it just gets tired, really fast. I have tried to weasel my way out of that conversation time after time, yet she always drills me about it every single time I'm there.

She's pretty cool about it all and all, but the questioning is annoying, because no matter what I say, it normally doesn't matter.

 

If people have dietary issues like "lactointolerent" (sp) or they can't eat beans cause they get gas, nobody rags on them. (The gas issue is kinda funny though) It's just not acceptable. So, why should it be acceptable for someone to rag or judge based on a choice? I dunno, maybe I'm missing something. Maybe I'm too nice of a person, but, I look at lifestyle choices like they should be respected. People should be respected for their "individuality" or in this case, desire to be healthy/ ecofriendly!

 

That reminds me of this one time I was on a long flight where they had meals. So I called in advance to request vegetarian, and they actually had a big long list (veg, dairy free, kosher, and tons of ethnic food). I got dairy free one way, and indian the other. (I was also in first class) MMmmmm. While everyone around me was eating their ham and cheese sandwiches, they were asking the flight attendants why I got better food

 

Haha yeah for my grandparents anniversary reception, everyone had a choice of prime rib or chicken cordon bleu...my grannies knew that I was vegan so they had a plate specially made for me which consisted of nummy spiral noodles, lots of veggies and a really good italian sauce over it...
My cousins said they wish they got what I did