I don't hate Vegans
I don't. Just this vegan. My brother (2 years my senior) and his girlfriend of 3 years just went vegan and they love it. It gives them lots of energy and is good for their health and is all around a good thing for the both of them. And that's awesome.
(I'll add a cut when I get back to a computer)
The problem I have with it is that my brother won't shut the fuck up. I get it, I do. Human beings inherently (or at least statistically) have a need to express themselves and brag about things they do that they feel are awesome things. They like to talk about decisions that they feel have made them/are making them better people. And then they want other people to start doing these things with them, and they judge those who decide not to.
I, however, am a statistical outlier in that respect. Sure, I'll talk about a brand of coffee I stopped buying because the country that sells it is slaughtering animals or some such, but only if it comes up in conversation or I'm asked outright, "what have you begun doing to make yourself a better person?" (Which, surprising enough, isn't a question I'm asked often.)
Now, I'm nonbinary, but I make a point to be a gentleman. I don't talk about myself. I'll talk about the things that I do or books I'm reading, but not about my eating habits. If you're curious to know what I eat, you have to ask something along the lines of, "what is a typical breakfast for you? I can't seem to find a good balance when it comes to breakfast." If you ask point blank, "what are your eating habits like?" I won't answer unless you're my doctor or trainer at the gym. I'll be polite, say that I'd rather not disclose that kind of information. If you insist, I'll tell you to go fuck yourself. I have good reason to keep how I eat to myself; firstly, how I eat is my own goddamn business. It's my body. Secondly, I grew up as an overweight (sometimes dangerously so) child, and I am still a few inches bigger than I probably should be. This lead to a lot of unhealthy obsessing over my weight in high school, and I associated my self-worth with my size (later, I did so with my writing, but I've since grown out of either mindset).
Now, I've finally reached a point where I'm happy with how I look and how I eat and the way I go about eating. I look and the mirror and think "attractive" even on my dysphoric days. I'm comfortable with who I am, and that is an astoundingly difficult place to get to in today's westernized world.
Now my brother (who I love dearly) has gone vegan. I'm happy for him, because it seems to be a good decision for him. I tried going vegetarian once and it did not work out. But then he starts trying to tell me how worried he is for me and how much he cares for me and he wants me to be healthy. I tell him I am healthy, and I am. Blood work and blood pressure and vitals are fucking awesome, my doctor has assured me. But that's not enough to convince my so-very-caring older brother. He wants to know what I eat, how much of it I eat. He wants to be the judge of my health.
"I take care of myself," I say.
"How can I know that for sure?" he asks. "What does that mean?"
This is where we start bumping heads. I'm stubborn. My health is my problem, what I eat is my business, my body is mine and mine alone. So I tell him that he'll have to take my word for it, because I'm not telling him a damn thing.
I'm sick of my eating habits being put on display and scrutinized because of my size. I'm sick of being poked and prodded and told by people I haven't fucking asked how unhealthy I am.
I take care of myself, and here I feel comfortable talking about that. Here, on my personal journal, I can talk about how I drink a gallon of water a day, how I cook with coconut oil and drink almond milk and bake with tapioca and almond flour and eat an avocado a day and try to get in some leafy vegetables everyday. I use coconut sugar. I put on sunscreen before I drive. I do all of these things and a hundred more because my health matters to me. But does that make anyone less worthy just because they don't do the stuff I do? No! You want to eat white bread and white sugar and Starbucks and McDonald's? Go the fuck ahead.
I judge that because you are a grown-ass person, I have no right to pass judgment.
My point is that I shouldn't have to justify myself to anyone besides my doctor. If I'm aware of the harm I'm causing my body and not "bullshitting" myself (as my father would say), then what's the fucking point of wagging your finger at me?
Yeah, I could justify myself. But I shouldn't have to, bro.
(I'll add a cut when I get back to a computer)
The problem I have with it is that my brother won't shut the fuck up. I get it, I do. Human beings inherently (or at least statistically) have a need to express themselves and brag about things they do that they feel are awesome things. They like to talk about decisions that they feel have made them/are making them better people. And then they want other people to start doing these things with them, and they judge those who decide not to.
I, however, am a statistical outlier in that respect. Sure, I'll talk about a brand of coffee I stopped buying because the country that sells it is slaughtering animals or some such, but only if it comes up in conversation or I'm asked outright, "what have you begun doing to make yourself a better person?" (Which, surprising enough, isn't a question I'm asked often.)
Now, I'm nonbinary, but I make a point to be a gentleman. I don't talk about myself. I'll talk about the things that I do or books I'm reading, but not about my eating habits. If you're curious to know what I eat, you have to ask something along the lines of, "what is a typical breakfast for you? I can't seem to find a good balance when it comes to breakfast." If you ask point blank, "what are your eating habits like?" I won't answer unless you're my doctor or trainer at the gym. I'll be polite, say that I'd rather not disclose that kind of information. If you insist, I'll tell you to go fuck yourself. I have good reason to keep how I eat to myself; firstly, how I eat is my own goddamn business. It's my body. Secondly, I grew up as an overweight (sometimes dangerously so) child, and I am still a few inches bigger than I probably should be. This lead to a lot of unhealthy obsessing over my weight in high school, and I associated my self-worth with my size (later, I did so with my writing, but I've since grown out of either mindset).
Now, I've finally reached a point where I'm happy with how I look and how I eat and the way I go about eating. I look and the mirror and think "attractive" even on my dysphoric days. I'm comfortable with who I am, and that is an astoundingly difficult place to get to in today's westernized world.
Now my brother (who I love dearly) has gone vegan. I'm happy for him, because it seems to be a good decision for him. I tried going vegetarian once and it did not work out. But then he starts trying to tell me how worried he is for me and how much he cares for me and he wants me to be healthy. I tell him I am healthy, and I am. Blood work and blood pressure and vitals are fucking awesome, my doctor has assured me. But that's not enough to convince my so-very-caring older brother. He wants to know what I eat, how much of it I eat. He wants to be the judge of my health.
"I take care of myself," I say.
"How can I know that for sure?" he asks. "What does that mean?"
This is where we start bumping heads. I'm stubborn. My health is my problem, what I eat is my business, my body is mine and mine alone. So I tell him that he'll have to take my word for it, because I'm not telling him a damn thing.
I'm sick of my eating habits being put on display and scrutinized because of my size. I'm sick of being poked and prodded and told by people I haven't fucking asked how unhealthy I am.
I take care of myself, and here I feel comfortable talking about that. Here, on my personal journal, I can talk about how I drink a gallon of water a day, how I cook with coconut oil and drink almond milk and bake with tapioca and almond flour and eat an avocado a day and try to get in some leafy vegetables everyday. I use coconut sugar. I put on sunscreen before I drive. I do all of these things and a hundred more because my health matters to me. But does that make anyone less worthy just because they don't do the stuff I do? No! You want to eat white bread and white sugar and Starbucks and McDonald's? Go the fuck ahead.
I judge that because you are a grown-ass person, I have no right to pass judgment.
My point is that I shouldn't have to justify myself to anyone besides my doctor. If I'm aware of the harm I'm causing my body and not "bullshitting" myself (as my father would say), then what's the fucking point of wagging your finger at me?
Yeah, I could justify myself. But I shouldn't have to, bro.