Excuse me, is that vegan?

Today I witnessed quite possibly my most favorite moment at at restaurant ever. I was lunching today at our local vegan joint when a group of ladies came in.  I’m no Sherlock Holmes, but the helium balloons and brightly wrapped packages told me that they were probably there to celebrate a birthday.  (On a side note..why do people buy helium balloons? I think they are such a waste of money)  Anyway in walks an older lady carrying a huge bakery box.  My lovely server stopped her and said “Excuse me but is that vegan?”.  The woman said “Well it’s a cake so it doesn’t have any meat in it!”

Our server politely said “No ‘mam, is it vegan? Does it contain any animal products?”  The woman obviously baffled said “No, just eggs and butter”…..

Is veganism really that obscure?  It certainly isn’t the first time I’ve heard someone question a vegan with “So, you don’t eat meat huh?  A vegan? So, like what you only eat fish and eggs?”.  It’s happened to me by my own family.  True story.  One time I went to visit a family member out of state.  After driving 12 hours we arrived tired, dirty and hungry.  I was greeted with “So glad you could come! I went out and got fresh catfish bites (ewww!) since you don’t eat meat and we’re going fry them up!”

So my server today explained that because they were a vegan restaurant the cake would not be permitted to stay and would need to be removed from the restaurant.  No cross contamination at this place!!  I loved it!  Finally someone making sure the vegans don’t accidentally get animal by products.   My experience has been that non-vegan restaurants will “veganize” something at my request and I still end up getting pieces of meat in my food.  I don’t understand how people can not understand.  It baffles me.

Why is it that people still do the “Oh for the love of…just remove the piece of meat (from my requested vegan meal) and then you’ll be fine!”  But would you do that to someone who has an intolerance for certain foods?  “Oh, don’t worry, pick the peanuts off then it will be peanut free!”  I just don’t get it.

Maybe it has to do with education.  Vegans are seen as militants.  Crazy animal activists who care more for animals than humans.  We’re called all kinds of derogatory names and no one thinks the wiser.  I believe part of the problem is that some animal rights groups (yeah, PETA, I’m talking to you this time) go out of their way to be radical.  They dream up crazy schemes to get the message out in the public.  It appears that PETA will do anything for press because they believe that if you get the media involved and change one persons mind then it’s worth it.  But is it?

How many minds do you poison for that one “convert”?  I think we’d be better served to be role models for the veganism by displaying a peaceful and healthy lifestyle. Not radicals with something to prove.  Don’t get me wrong PETA, I still love you…I just think your going in the wrong direction.  One mind isn’t worth the stereotyping that happens as a result of your campaigns.  I’m not a crazy radical.  I don’t think Ben and Jerry’s should use breast milk, and, for fucks sake I don’t want George Clooney tofu!  I am a thoughtful, intelligent human that has evolved enough to know that the animals deserve whatever lives they were intended.  That’s the message I want to say about being vegan.

Oh, the lady and the cake? Yeah, she didn’t get it.  But you know what?  Her and the whole group just learned something about what it means to be a vegan.  I doubt she’ll ever forget it.  And, she was told in a respectful, polite way.  I’m sure the restaurant gave them a glorious vegan cake (for they are a sweet bunch well known for their kindness) and I’ll bet it was so good they never missed the old one.  Now that is what I call activism!