At the risk of being ridiculed, are there any vegans among you?

NO... I'm not joking. I'm a vegan, I'm a fulltimer, and I'm interested in meeting all sorts of folks from all walks of life. But I am also curious as to whether or not there are any other vegans that read/share these posts? Simple.

Hello Michael. I'm not a vegan, but I used to be an ova-lacto vegetarian before lapsing one Thanksgiving while roasting a turkey for my husband. I still eschew pork and beef and any odd parts. Good for you for your stance.

I don't know if this counts but I did have pheasant for dinner tonight. They were in the corn field!

Good for you, it takes all kind to make the world go around.
Welcome to the forum!

I have a great recipe for stir fry pheasant.

Wendy, thank you, and I wish you the best.

...the other guy, sadly, he has confirmed my worst fears.

In our travels we have met a few vegans. My guess would be that the percentage among rvers is probably less than the general population as we tend to be an older, more traditional demographic. Keep meeting new people and I am certain you will meet some like minded people. 

Michael Holden said:

Wendy, thank you, and I wish you the best.

...the other guy, sadly, he has confirmed my worst fears.

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I don't know if you were referring to me, but that's OK. Just as vegans live off the land, I do too. I have a huge garden each year that I share with my friends. But I also am a avid hunter and I enjoy it with my son and grandson. I have taught them to NOT kill anything unless they are going to consume it. I pay my fees and respect the land that I love and cherish. I did not do my last post to upset anyone. I said that it takes all kinds to make the world go around and welcomed them to the forum. If I upset you or anyone then I am man enough to apologize.

Odie1234, I'm hoping I didn't perceive a "stereotyping" going on. I'm pushing 60, so not your average teen! Now, if you're in your
90's, well then I guess I should cut you some latitude! Anyhow, thanks for your input and I'll probably push off.

Cattle are vegetarians, so therefore, beef IS a vegetable.  ;D

Sorry....couldn't resist.  Not my thing, but to each his or her own.....takes all kinds to make a world.  I seriously doubt you'll get ridiculed on this board.  This is about the mellowest place on the entire internet. 

He's already been ridiculed twice.

There's a difference between lighthearted banter to welcome someone to the board and ridiculing them.  The difference lies in the intent.  If the former gets under somebody's skin that badly, it would seem that they are the one who intolerant of others who don't share their lifestyle.  Most of us have much bigger concerns in life than what a total stranger's dietary preferences are.  The only logical conclusion then is that we are just making what we consider innocuous conversation.

YMMV, of course. 

As I read Original Poster's post, I had the the thought to say:

I'm not (a vegan) I do not think, but my Brother-in-Law is a VAGABOND.
It just struct me funny to think that thought.

After reading all the responses, I realized it could have been an offensive response.  I looked up the word "VEGAN" on WIKIipedia and learned something. I'm NOT a Vegan. I have a Grandchild who is a Vegetarian though, and we try to accommodate her wishes at meals.

The OP started off by saying: "I'm not joking...."  may have moved thinking in that direction...??

Just remember this: This forum is one of the most "respectful, intelligent and informative sites I've seen in 8 years of forum activity. 
If ya already "PUSHED OFF" get back here please... you have already educated me, and I'm sure others that have been following your post. Is not that good?
Remember..., we are an RV forum with VEGAN, and this, and that members who want to be helped and helpful.
"See ya on down the road....."

Wendy said:

He's already been ridiculed twice.

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I don't get that, at all. Life is full of choices, and why some people choose to be %@#$@# to others for no apparent reason is a mystery to me. Rather than post what "you" may consider lighthearted banter to somebody you've not met and subsequently drive them off by offending them, why not wait for a vegetarian or vegan to answer his call?
Who cares if you ate pheasant? why not start your own thread about hunting and living off the land?
Frizlefrak, he asked a specific question and got more smart responses than actually useful ones. I think he found his answer soon enough.
For what it's worth I am neither vegan nor vegetarian, but I respect others choices.

This thread has certainly been eye opening to the way I think vs. how others may think or perceive things.  Each person it entitled to their own thoughts on this or any other issue however and wether we choose to respond to this post or any post in a serious manner or a jesting manner is equally each person's perogative.  At the same time, we have to be responsable to ourselves as to wether or not we offend somebody else with what we believe is our own twisted humor.  Having said that, I am offender and guilty of offending others with what I may have perceived as being funny (well it was to me and maybe a few others.....while it wasn't funny to another group).  For that, I apologize to anybody that I may have offended for anything that I may have thought funny at the time.

I'm capabable of offending, even intimidating when I think the situation warrants it....however, as I get older those would be very rare moments.  Can't think of a case where I'd intentionally hurt somebody's feelings on the net....after all, it's the internet and everything has to be taken with a grain of salt.....stay in neutral until you have the facts.....easy does it kind of attitude and try not to be so quick to judge or interpret what a poster "really meant".

When I first read the header, I thought "why would somebody ridicule another for being a vegan (biker, catholic, blue coller worker.....insert your own here).  I read the first post and admired the poster for being straight forward and representing who/what he really is.  Not for me, but more power to him was my thought.

As I read down the posts, I read what I perceived as the same thoughts, not for them but more power to the original poster and one or two of the posts (the pheasant) done with a bit of twisted humor (actually my kind of humor and I even chuckled) however, coming from a neutral position I certainly didn't read in to it that he was ridiculing the original poster....but just an off handed way of saying "it's not for me but more power to you" and doing that with respect for the original poster for standing up to him.

Having said that, I also know (from the sexual harrassment training for managers that I have to take every year) that it's not up to the person delivering the messege to determine if it's offending but actually up to the person receiveing the message to determine if it was harrassment.  So.........where does it all land?

I think the original poster knew and expected (by the title alone) not everybody to agree with his life choice and may even be surprised by the support that he's got in support of his post (even if we don't agree with that choice for ourselves).  Does he feel ridiculed?  That's up for him to decide.  But I try to keep in mind that we all have a choice wether or not we want to be a victim in cases like this.  I choose not to be.....somebody else may just disagree with me and their entitled to that.

You know, this kind of thing could go on and on.  hes4all posted that he doesn't kill anything unless he's going to consume it.  I know others that would not agree with that approach or attitude, that you shouldn't kill anything unless you're going to use all the parts of the animal (fur, bones, etc.) like they do in Alaska. 

Again, I'm sorry if I've offended anybody......not my intention.  Isn't it great to live in America!

I would seriously like to go Vegan, but alas I do not do the shopping or cooking most of the time. And my wife, though she enjoys my cooking, gets upset if I do too much of it.

Michael Holden said:

Wendy, thank you, and I wish you the best.

...the other guy, sadly, he has confirmed my worst fears.

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Don't stop there, Mike!  It takes all kinds of people to make a world. 

I can say this honestly pertaining to the vegan lifestyle with a sis-in-law being vegan.  We love her dearly and go out of our way to accomadate her during the holiday get togethers.  Wouldn't have it any other way.  She is family and that is all there is to it!

She is also a RN at a local hospital of over 20 some odd years.  Don't think we don't get an ear full at our family get togethers! 

Stand your ground.

Every one has a right to live and eat and such as they choose. But what grippes me is all this "you offend me" or you offended them! People here and a lot of places are just trying to converse and be funny and not sh---y at all, but you get all kinds in this STUPID political world that you have offended me, NOT!
Oh and I do know what a vegan is as my wife practices that way of life.



Oh I guess this offending accusing has offended me!  LOL LOL!!!!!  Laugh damnit!

Seems to me no offense was meant by Michael.  He was simply looking for someone attracted to his lifestyle.  It sounded to me like he totally understands the differences in opinions.  And he expected some answers to be on the "unfriendly" side.  He took a chance.  Give credit where credit is due.

Again Michael, stand your ground.

Yep, it was meant as just a little friendly banter to get to know a new member.  Nothing more, nothing less.  I didn't realize everyone was going to get so butt hurt over it.  I grew up in a military household, and have always had a pretty thick skin.  If I thow my thoughts out there for the world to see, I think it's a pretty safe assumption that a sizeable chunk of the populace won't share my views.  I'm not only cool with that, I encourage it.  Wouldn't the world be a dull place if we all looked, thought, spoke, and acted alike? 

When did the world get so delicate? 

No malice was intended.  If it was perceived, I'm also man enough to apologize....but with a caveat. If you're going to throw something about your life out there for the public to see, don't expect everyone to agree with you.

denmarc said:

Seems to me no offense was meant by Michael.  He was simply looking for someone attracted to his lifestyle.  It sounded to me like he totally understands the differences in opinions.  And he expected some answers to be on the "unfriendly" side.  He took a chance.  Give credit where credit is due.

Again Michael, stand your ground.

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While several posted that they don't live the vegan lifestyle in their own way, I didn't construe any of the posts as being "unfriendly".  I think just about everybody has agreed that if vegan (or anything else) is his thing then more power to him.....the ol' biker mantra, "live and let live".

Personally, I thought several of these posts, like frizelfrac and ironrat, were kind of funny.  But then I've been accused more than once of having a twisted sense of humor.  I'm guilty as charged yer honor!

On the serious side.....I am curious to see Michael Holden's response to all of this.  Is he sitting back, cryin in his beer.....or is he having a good gut busting laugh about it all.  I hope he's laughing about it all and appreciates that everybody respects his stand up wether they agree with his food lifestyle or not.

By the way, for the record, I can't stand sushi or anything else that's not cooked!  I said it, I meant it and I'm here to represent it! 

Part of the problem is that this is a forum. Communicating with the written word, you can't see the friendly yet mischevious glint in someone's eye when they post a humorous barb towards someone. It can be taken as malice as easily as being taken as an attempt at offering a friendly verbal handshake.

Michael, I'm not vegan, but there are days I eat that way. I feel better, physically and mentally when forgoing animal proteins, however old habits can be hard to break. Hope you stick around. Today I'm doing a test-cook of some potatoes, cabbage, carrots and leeks in a solar cooker I just put together, so today will probably be one of those veggie days for me.