Hail Everyone
I was watching the goggle box the other day, I was about to change channel when I heard that a raw food eater was swapping lives for 2 weeks with a two times a day meat eating & hunting woman.
Well if any of you have watched this show, they come back a few weeks later to follow up on them. Unfortunately the raw food eater was now a cooked food one and the hunter had become an activist for hunting rights!
I don't really know why I am sharing this, I felt so sorry for her. She said she was a raw vegan for 20 years, she did cry a lot through out the show.
I relate to her because it is so hard to stay on the right path, when the environment isn't condusive.
We have family visiting from Canada, and since they go here 5 days ago, the alcohol and fast foods have been flying around here. And they clawing at me with their stinky breath and bodies. Disrespecting my boundaries and badgering me to eat ome meat or drink some booze.
Friday they want a big party and I am trying all ways I know not to go. Because I know they'll all have something to say, and gang up on me etc.
I am so tired of it already, I so want my own place to call home, where I can be without criticism, I understand the power of this forum now having seen that show.
She had so little support, her husband and daughter were vegan too, however he got the cooker back whilst she was away and I guess that was the beginning of the end.
It is so late here and I need to go to sleep. Had a way emotionally stressful day.
Thanks for being here for me to share.

I sympathize with you & your predicament. I am frequently surrounded by cooked food eaters & I find the smell very offensive. For the most part they don't badger me about partaking in their "roadkill" anymore, but I still get the snide remarks.

It is hurtful to say the least, and is hard to deal with. Other than being outright rude, I don't know what else to do. I personally feel it will always be this way between raw foodists/cooked food eaters, much in the same way the political parties badger each other & can never come to an agreement & get along together.

What is important is that you purpose in your heart ahead of time that you are determined to stay raw no matter what, so you will be prepared for the onslaught when it does come.

I dont think anyone has the right to badger you over how you want to eat.
In fact I think if they do to where you are emotionally upset,it should be considered a form of harassment just like any other!!
I really feel for you.I have a very supportive and loving family who is behind my raw eating 100%,and this kind of thing really irks me.

Vinny



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/2009 02:03PM by eaglefly.

It sounds stressful - and it IS difficult. There are always folks - even loved ones - telling us that our dreams are not valid. It is important to develop a good sense of boundaries and communicating those clearly to our loved ones.

Of course, we need to make decisions that do allow us a condusive environment. If just being around some meat eaters for a while changed her behaviors....then she definitely needed to re-focus on what her dreams and goals really were!

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/2009 04:08PM by davidzanemason.

Just to clarify David Z, the lady from 'Wife Swap' didn't start to eat meat, just cooked vegan foods.

OkunDeji,

Keep you eyes on the prize. Think of it this way: would your guests be as rude and belligerent if they had peace in their hearts from having peace in their bellies? Try to focus on how you are taking the high road.

As for the raw vegan on Wife Swap succumbing to cooked food, I smell a producer's interference for ratings. If I were forced to live with an avid hunter for any amount of time I'd be so thoroughly repulsed by his rudimentary world view that it would make me only more resolute about the path I have chosen. Now if the people producing the show withheld food from this woman, as a device, well, all that proves is that hunters really DO lack humaneness, or he'd have offered to forage her some snacks while out in the brush waiting for Bambi.

this waitress the other day, (quite loudly i might add) decided to exlaim what an odd diet i had , and what on earth do i eat ?!?!

i told her i eat anything that doesnt take a @#$%&

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Jgunn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> this waitress the other day, (quite loudly i might
> add) decided to exlaim what an odd diet i had ,
> and what on earth do i eat ?!?!
>
> i told her i eat anything that doesnt take a @#$%&
>


I Know that im going to be tempted to use that one!!!!!
Ha great one Jgunn!
ffx

Hey OkunDeji
Don't know if this will help you but it works for me.

That 'well meant/ or not?' constant intensive criticism or feedback that is exchanged by your fellow companions on this earth plane is simply an exchange of energy. That's all it ever is!

You can take this energy and use it in which ever way you see fit.
You can use it to destroy yourself.
You can use it to empower yourself.
Its your choice!

I choose to thank them for their gift, it energises and makes me stronger rather than de energising me, making me weaker (which appears to be happening to you right now)
I let them say whatever they want. I do not get into any form of argument, as this only serves to make me weaker.

Practice transforming this energy. Its great fun!
Use the gifts they are giving you, isn't that what they want you to do?
Just do it your way!
Love blessings and fun transformation!
ffx

feel free ffx expect a dumbounded gaggle expression onthe other persons lol

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Okundeji,

After I read your initial post, I had to go away to another tab. It was too emotionally charged to do anything further after reading your post. It is several hours later that I'm replying. I'm going to TRY to reply in one session, otherwise I may have to try a couple of times.

I know it sucks. I'm the only one who is vegan (and it doesn't help that I'm deaf as well). I have tried being raw for about two weeks straight. I'm unable emotionally to do completely raw (which is during the day for now). The problem is, for me to go completely raw means to foresake all dinner activities with all family and friends, since there are NO raw fooders here in Houston who want to meet. I'm not ready to break ties with family and present friends because I've nowhere else to go for friends, and this is true for many people who have done it alone for decades.

There are only a few possibilities, and it requires something like a "Forever Knight" break with your mortal past, a past you can't ever go back to.

One option is to forsake all activities with your family (since they all involve food at one point or another in the daily life).

A different option is to wait until you are 75-80 and you take the family to a rock concert where you rock the house down with speed-metal blast beats on the drums and screaming all night, then take them back home with the grace of a 30-year-old none the worse for wear. When it is time for them to leave this world, there, you have your revenge; when you stand beside their dying (or dead) selves, you can show them, "I told you so, now watch me enjoy my life in a physically CAPABLE manner until the night I die peacefully in my sleep. I told you, didn't I?"

Another one is to find a way to get us together, like a "running crew" of 4-10 individuals who only associate with those of us and may move around together according to the employment needs of the members, like a permanent entourage. It would almost be like a poly family, only it wouldn't necessarily have the deepness of intimate relationships unless you want that in the group.

Another would be to find a way to build a town or occupy an area very much like GLBT people do in parts of the town, like the Montrose in Houston, West Hollywood in LA, Davie Village in Vancouver, Montreal's Le Village. These are called gay villages, so what we need are "raw villages!"

Fortunately (and unfortunately) for me, much of my family will be passing on for the next 5-10 years, down to the sibling level (they are 25+ years older than I am, and my nephews and nieces are slightly older to slight younger than I am, 40-46), so I will be free of having to face their death-dealing, ignorant daily habits. What makes this easier is that I am estranged from most of my family for a reason I can't go into.

I have thought of breaking with my past cleanly by moving to an area where there are a lot of vegans/raw fooders and making excuses on why I can't come home for the holidays (broke, car down, work schedule, whatever I can do to keep from going back).

By the way, "this waitress the other day, (quite loudly i might add) decided to exlaim what an odd diet i had , and what on earth do i eat ?!?!" - I say, "Whatever doesn't move. Umm, except for one thing, but I'm not going to tell you what that is," and wink at her suggestively. I love to F* rock people's worlds and getting them to peek at the possibility that what they see around them isn't quite what it really is.

If you really want to understand a little bit of my life, you can watch the entire series of Forever Knight here - [www.hulu.com] - start down at the bottom by clicking on Season 1. There's no fee, weird software to download, nothing illegal. I relate to vampire shows because I feel a connection through being different, thinking differently, seeing things differently, and being socially isolated because of these differences, not to mention the potential maximum lifespan of my potential compared to the average civilized human of today. I don't relate to religion, the "evil darkness." I would have more in common with Lucien, the father vampire in the show.

This took me a while to write this out...

Stephanie

Greetings Everyone
Well all I can say is that the party went excellently well. I did what I needed to do to take care of myself and stay on track. I did that by preparing my food ahead of time, ate plenty fruit beforehand and shared in the salads and stood my ground with dignity, with an attitude of service with a smile.
When I wrote the original post I was in a bad way, inside my own head and feeling alone. Sharing it here allowed me to let it go and turn it over to my Creator. I took care of me and didn't feel guilty about it and had a fantastic time. 'Karry your own key' = karaoke dancing diva ))) and I was sober, lol.
Watching them degenerate as the evening wore on was quite surreal funny, because it was not long ago when I would have been right in there with them, so I cannot, should not judge them at all.
What I have realized is, that what angers me most is not them, it is those parts of them I recognize in myself.
I was like a Fruit Fairy ninja, every critique, comment and stupid question, I avoided adroitly, with a smile on my face. They won't remember it anyway.
I did still get a "hangover" of sorts, maybe it was the fumes. Plus a late night, usually in bed by 10. I found I had great energy all night though. Sipping coconut water and lime, it was wonderful. No desires at all and that my friends that is a miracle.
As I grow in this livity, I realize more and more it is a simple decision (followed by action of course) A choice to be willing to heal myself. And knowing that I need to heal.
My home has to be where my head is. Not in things, or other people. Nor in the geographical cure, I must be able to heal wherever I find myself
Like Tamukha say "Beware the Producers", and I say stop watching the goggle box too.
Stephanie, I really relate to the vision of your family deteriorating in front of your eyes. My mother and cousin are on the same heart, hypertension, meds. Swapping stories over their dedders breakfast table, about the side effects they shared and finding comfort in that. Yet, dare I suggest they eat a piece of fruit instead, well I am not even going there. As you say, the results and changes in me are speaking for me. (I love a a good horror picture too)
SO I going to keep smiling and remembering how far I have come already, more than half way to weight goal, and far surpassing the spiritual and emotional benefits I could ever have never even imagined and experienced without raw foods live-it.
I love the newly developing me, I am embracing me and giving me a fighting chance for the first time in my life, doing my best and that is all I can ask of me today.
Thank you all for being here for me with your wonderful replies, they are all teaching me newly.
Peace

Okun Deji,

I am glad you are doing well and that you have finally come to the conclusion that you are the master of your own being regardless of all the illusions and rumors that seem to whisper in your ears that it ain't so.

i actually found the raw wife swap situation grotesquely humorous

Let's see:

1) This woman KNEW that the other woman was a hunting and meat eating person.

2) She KNEW what the situation would be.

3) She then fully PARTICIPATED in this.

4) She starts to cry as if she had something DONE to her.

very funny

but also sad
that she thinks she had no say or control in the entire situation

She could have:

1) Not participated in the show.

2) Find a way to COMMUNICATE or take matters into her own hand to pick the raw vegan foods from the other dross and partake of that.

Was this a wife swap or a brain swap?

What is she crying for? Its a tv show for crying out loud... not a situation in which she was held at gunpoint and forced to eat charred, roasted, toasted,popped,braised, steamed, boiled grub for two weeks.

Jgunn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> feel free ffx expect a dumbounded gaggle
> expression onthe other persons lol


Looking forward to it!
I do get a little tired of being asked 'what do fruitarians eat'!
Someone recently shopping for a christmas gift for me, asked me
'What do you buy for a fruitarian'!

Im constantly getting asked about my diet at work, since a friend told people about my strange eating habits. Its not that i mind telling people, its the questions and comments that follow that tend to bore me!


I keep my replies simple and am always polite.
I'm gonna wait for a room full of people to let 'anything that doesn't take a @#$%&' fly!
As life can get so dam serious if you let it, this one should lighten the mood!
I think its important to keep learning FUN! Ha!
ffx

[www.youtube.com]

Is this the episode? It looks like the wife family eating cooked food for the firtst time in a year.

lol, no this wasn't the exact show, similar concepts and tears. I can't stop lol. Poor man.

gawwwwwwwwwwwwlllllleeeeeee

that is HILAAAAARRRRRRIOUS!!!!

but honestly, i just wanted to give that guy a big hug and say

" Awww... geeez... Hey ..look... that piece of moo cow that is rotting in everyone's intestine may have been a bad choice but honestly... they won't die... they'll be okay as long as you stop engaging in such nonsense any further LOL"

so funny

is it my imagination or must something else be going on in his head that is making him feel so stressed?

then again, moo burgers ARE pretty nasty

but it does make for a good laugh

It all depends on how strong you are. You should not let people badger you about your eating. Get your respect. It doesn't happen to me. Maybe some of you seem boastful about vegetarianism. People just don't bother me about it. There must be something that you do to bring special attention to it. For most people, who cares that you don't eat cooked food. If it's family then change the subject and take control of the conversation. A gathering should not be all about the food and who eats what. If its a social gathering then smile and have a good time. Don't knock others if they like meat. Don't make them feel guilty. Don't look down your nose at them. Shrug the stuff off. You've got to play a winning role. Get it? May be you're in the wrong places. Go where you're accepted or don't go.

OkunDeji wrote
SO I going to keep smiling and remembering how far I have come already, more than half way to weight goal, and far surpassing the spiritual and emotional benefits I could ever have never even imagined and experienced without raw foods live-it.
I love the newly developing me, I am embracing me and giving me a fighting chance for the first time in my life, doing my best and that is all I can ask of me today.

I read yor post and it really resonated with me.
The emotional, spititual aspects and being content with the place that i'm at, in short a total acceptance of what is.

I thank the people that gave me a hard time about my diet, and the wobbly returns to cooked along the way, because it only served to make me stronger and more committed to raw.
(I have just started a thread about a macrobiotic group that have entered my life in order to bring more teaching just now!)

It was a similar attitude to the one you are experiencing, that really moved me forward on my raw food journey.
((HUGS))
ffx

hugs & kisses to you! keep your eye on the prize...good health, emotional well-being and the sense of not being 'formed into the everyone else is doing it mold'