heebnvegan's Very First Guest Post

Time after time, I have talked about how easy it is to be vegan. (And I stand by that!) I'll have another post about that topic tomorrow. However, not everything is one-sided. There are complications here and there, and heebnvegan's very first guest post talks about that side of things. Below, in his own words, my friend David talks about the trials and tribulations of being a vegan Jew. He poignantly captures the essence of what is occasionally a struggle. For me, the most moving part is when his grandma's friend's granddaughter becomes appalled and clearly isn't interested in him.

Any other ideas for guest posts? Send 'em my way! Note: Guest posts do not reflect the opinion of this blog or its blogger.

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A few years ago I was visiting my grandma back home and I went with her to this "Christmas" party that friends of hers threw every year. Everyone was Jewish but it was held on Christmas when the kids were home from college and the adults who’d scattered around the country could go “home” for the holidays and all of that. In any case, the party was catered by some Jewish caterer down there and my grandma had said that they would have some pasta or salad whatever for me. To be safe, I ate before we left. So what did they have for me? Not even a salad—just some plain carrot and celery sticks. Apparently, I'm a rabbit.

Now, these friends of my grandma’s had a granddaughter a year or two younger than I was (am)…I think my grandma had wanted to set us up or something like that at some point before then. In any case, when dinner was served I went into the kitchen to see what was being served to the ‘regular’ people to see if there was anything for me to eat in there. (There didn’t seem to be, and anything that might have looked like it was probably would have had butter or God knows what else in it.) Then I went looking for this salad or whatever. The granddaughter saw me and I think maybe pointed at this plate of celery and carrot sticks and—with such a look of utter disgust that anyone would be satisfied with such drek—said something like, “I think that’s for you.” I answered something like how yeah, that’s what I’d figured. I had absolutely no interest in eating any of it, but snacked a bit on a couple of carrot sticks, so as not to be rude. But I did assure people that, no, it’s not typically what I eat but it’s all right, I ate some before the party! (Again…not wanting to be rude in case I’d be overheard or the hosts would hear what I’d said, so…I tried to make the point without saying how ridiculously disappointing it was!)

I was pretty newly vegan…like about 5 months into it though I’d been “on the way” for a while before I went vegan 100%. I felt like everyone was aware of my odd diet and the fact that I worked for an animal rights organization in association with it. I felt the stares! And then the granddaughter’s look of disgust in association with all of that. Good times. I totally remember thinking as I was sitting there, “What am I, a friggin’ RABBIT???”

I know, it’s not like you should expect people to go out of their way from you, but…that’s all they could come up with?? These people had money, too. The thing was catered, complete with staff. No one could put something more interesting together?

Oh, the life of a vegan…