Living with meat eaters

Luna92

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Mar 6, 2019
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31
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Dublin
Hi.. I'm not quite sure where to begin, just Googled talk to vegans, this forum appeared so just signed up. Forgive me while I vent, have some emotion to dispel.. :neutral:

I'm trying not to feel despair as a vegan in a situation where Im unable to move places right now..
The most insignificant of instances evoked a reaction within me.. So there were some beans in the fridge that I'd left for a few days longer than should have. Housemate is disgusted by their apparent 'smell' throws them out, fair enough .. But I found it so hard to hold back my thoughts of "well how about opening the fridge to your so called 'food' which is literal chopped up carcass of multiple animals.... the smell of them being cooked first thing on Saturday morning is not a nice wakeup call." They're so desensitised by this scent as being what it is..dead animals. Just feeling very isolated as a vegan right now. They're nice people, the 2 i live with but the food thing is difficult at times.
Yet I know if I expressed myself to them I'd be labelled the typical emotionally erratic vegan.

There's nothing that can be done at this moment in time, i know i have to get myself out of this place, first and foremost (it's an affordability issue) but i just really needed to express myself to other humans who understand. Not looking for advice really.. i know it can't be helped right now. I'm thankful someone is reading this and maybe if it holds resonance, we can have an opportunity of sharing stories to vent or just feel less alone. Hopefully we can open up a conversation about being around meat-eaters alot, share struggles and support eachother.

Thank you x :heart:
 
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I had an evil roommate last year. When we all moved in, she claimed to be a pescatarian who would only eat fish in the school cafeteria, in restaurants, or directly from a tuna pouch i.e. no cooking dead animals in the home. Especially not using my pans or dishes. Especially since everyone besides her was either vegetarian or vegan.

Next thing I know, she's decided she's not even a pescatarian anymore, and she repeatedly uses one of my pans to cook chicken. She acts like I'm hateful and mean for not accepting her random life decision even after she signed a roommate contract. Not to mention she was using MY pans.

It really, really made me dislike her. I felt like she was selfish, dishonest, and rude. Unfortunately quite a lot of meat eaters will behave this way. Why? For the same reasons Christians in the US whine when they're not the accepted leading majority, or why "being white is alright" has become a thing. It's the social belief that any challenge to the accepted structural norms is a form of borderline sociopathy. LOL. It's ridiculous. Especially since normally it's right wing, hardcore Republicans who have this white Christian bias, but you'll find loads of so-called "open minded" liberals acting exactly like a Fox News alt-right libertarian when it comes to meat. They'll tell you how culturally insensitive it is to be vegan, or they'll simply engage in the same childish outraged behaviors of my former roommate. Due to their assumptions, you're automatically the bad guy.

My suggestion is that you obviously find new roommates. There are meat eaters who are more considerate, who will stay away from your dishes or pans, clean up after themselves, and put their animal products on a different shelf away from yours. But even with them you're going to deal with a certain level of blindness to their own behavior.

Honestly, I don't have good news for you. You could ask them to respect certain boundaries, but outside of that you'll either have to live alone or with different people. Asking them to stop eating meat after you've already agreed to be their roommates is pretty much out of the question, unfortunately.
 
Hello and welcome!
... as for the pans - those are your pans. Period, end of story. YOU get to decide how they are used. Either said person respects that or you remove the pans from the kitchen and keep them in your room. That's what I would do.

Sorry for your situation. There ARE meat eaters who are more respectful. I hope you find them soon.

You had ground rules established at the outset. I don't understand why those can't be adhered to, regardless of this person's "flip flopping" on their diet. If they don't like it, they should move!

grrr :mad:
((((hugs))))
 
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Hello Luna92 and Welcome :)

I hear your pain, we are with you, we are listening :)

*hugs*