Being Vegan Sucks

Yes, you heard me right, (or read me right?). I hate being a 'vegan'.

So why don't I go eat a bacon sandwich, you ask? Well, here's the thing.

I DON'T WANT TO EAT ANIMAL PRODUCTS. That's it really. I choose to not eat meat or dairy. It makes me feel healthier. And I love animals.

I wrote my dissertation on 'veganism', promoted the lifestyle and justified it using all the evidential support I could gather. I watched the documentaries, read the books, scoured the internet for facts. I learned the horrific truth, and now there's no way I can ignore it.

I don't preach. I don't care if you love steak, that's your prerogative, as this is mine. But I am so sick of being chastised because of the way I choose to eat. I don't judge your dietary habits, so why are you judging mine?

People ask questions; they're curious, naturally. What do vegans eat - they ask. Well, the answer to that is everything, bar flesh and dairy products. It really isn't that hard, otherwise we wouldn't do it.

I like the vegan community - some of them are militant which drives people away - but most of them are kind and caring souls, similar to myself. I choose to eat this way for compassion, for both animal and humankind.

The contradictions I see every day in meat-eaters enrage me. They despise animal cruelty, but don't think about it when buying cosmetics. They sign petitions to stop the Yulin dog-meat festival, yet sit there eating a ham sandwich whilst doing so. Where's the line? Why choose to care about some animals and not others? That's just my stance on it. But I don't call them out. I keep my mouth shut - I lock my opinions away, because it's the polite and correct thing to do. I'll answer truthfully - if I am asked. Otherwise, I stand by the phrase 'live and let live'. So why can't the rest of you let me live?

I'm sick of being painted with a vegan brush, labelled and almost excluded from this 'normality' that is meat-eating. So much so that I almost want to rebuke the label of 'vegan'. How sad is that?

If I simply said I had a lactose intolerance and an allergy to meat, no one would care. I would seldom be plagued with questions because it would be deemed intrusive and rude. I might be pitied for not being able to eat bacon, but I certainly wouldn't be asked question after question about my diet. So why is it that when the word 'vegan' comes into the equation, people think they're entitled to start plaguing me?

Please stop asking me ridiculous questions. I don't miss bacon, or any meat for that matter. I like vegetables, I eat plenty of protein, and no, I am not malnourished. I'm drinking a cappuccino, about to eat a packet of crisps. Surprisingly, crisps, which are made from potatoes can be vegan too. It's almost like it's a vegetable or something.