Going to the title, my dad asks me that question: "When are you going back to 'normal'?"

Anyone else have someone like that?

Do you laugh when he asks that, or answer with some sort of comment hinting that because you're his daughter, you can't be?

I don't really have anyone who wonders when I'll be "normal", but the closest is my younger sister. She just does not get it. She does not believe me when I tell her that I get enough protein (why is it always the protein?). She doesn't think I'm healthy and thinks the food I eat is yucky. She wouldn't even try a toffutti cutie. :cry:

Sorry, I have issues with my little sis. :p

Yeah, why is it always the protein? :D When he asks (let's just say he's an emotionally and verbally abusive man), I just shake my head and walk away. It's annoying now to the point where I just don't even react.

Tell him "Normal is a cycle on a washing machine."

My step nan, when we were at dinner at their place:
"What about the rest of the family...are they normal?" (completely serious and straight faced).

oh, I get that all the time too. My parents constantly tell people it's just a phase, and soon enough, I will return back to their "normal"- meat and potatoes. They simply can't accept the fact that I choose to not eat meat, and I have never liked, nor will I ever, like potatoes.

The other day, a girl I work with, discovered that I recently went vegan. At first she didn't say much, but after a bit made a comment about how though she wasn't necessarily meaning me, most vegans seem a bit insane to her. I doubt that she actually knows many vegans, or any at all, for that matter, but I thought it was a little rude, nonetheless.

I have some people ask me every so often "Are you still vegetarian?"

i say that i've never been normal, so why start now?

"how though she wasn't necessarily meaning me, most vegans seem a bit insane to her."
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LOL ...you were probably the only one she knew . That is rude! (not to mention stupid)

I had this type of experience. I cleaned up my diet and started exercisingg, went from weighing about 225 to 155. I am going to visit my parents this weekend, and the first thing my mom asked me on the phone was "sooo...what do we feed you?"

I should have seen it coming, but literally had to think about it for a few seconds before I could get anything out.

What's Normal? Anything becomes "normal" when one is raised a particular way. Growing up, you were also probably taught that stealing was a crime, and talking to strangers was out of the question.

However, when you got older you started to learn that in life or death situations, stealing could become an option, and strangers are just as timid as we are......and that having akward moments with others isn't the best feeling in the world......but saying hi to one another eases that akward silence.

Our family values become a socially acceptable idea, thus when something different or anything that is not the norm comes into play......everyone backs into a corner. My advice.....say dad......it's time for change......I'll teach you this lifestyle and I'll give you my reasons for choosing to live differently.

LOL. This reminds me of the Simpsons episode when Lisa went Vegetarian.

Homer: Wait a minute. Lisa honey, are you saying you're *never* going to eat any animal again? What about bacon?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Ham?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Pork chops?
Lisa: Dad! Those all come from the same animal!
Homer: [Chuckles] Yeah, right Lisa. A wonderful, magical animal.

I just thought that was funny :D (Hope I didnt take steam away from the other great advice)

Ha ha, that is a classic Simpsons, Apu jammin' with Paul and Linda on the rooftop, great stuff.....parents can be very unsupportive of their childern and that's really a shame, he must not see the potential to distant himself from you in beinglike that, very sad.

My grandmother asks me EVERY time i see her - "you still don't eat chicken?" She's getting a little senile though so I don't let it bother me. My parents have accepted my vegetarianism much better - they always assumed something like this "would happen" anyway, haha. Of course since i've been moved out for a long time, it wasn't that big an adjustment for them anyway.

My dad said he thought my choice was a bit extreme but they're kinda over it now. My mom's worse though she looked at me one day and said, "Who made you a hippie? we didn't make you a hippie." She was only half serious though.

yeah, a good friend of mine (who is practically a carnivore...I swear she never eats vegetables) got frustrated for some reason and said "why can't you just eat meat and be like normal people?" I was speechless. How rude! But she's pretty cool about it usually, I just think that she doesn't understand.

My husband's dad often says to one of us 'Are you still veggie?' like it's a phase. I've been veggie 10 years and my husband for over seven.

my mom asked me this at first. luckily, it took her only a couple weeks or so to realize i was serious and that vegetarianism was my new "normal".

i really like borealis's and zoebird's responses :D

""why can't you just eat meat and be like normal people?""

That doesn't say too much for 'normal' people, huh? She's asking why not just go with the flow, and not question the world we live in, and try to better oneslef, and the world around us, I think being 'normal' is synonymous with being complacent.

Judging by the vegetarian diet facor, most of the world's population is abnormal. (The Chinese IN CHINA don't have pork or chicken every day, no sir !). Now isn't that rather scary ? LOL !

When someone asks me why I'm a vegetarian (usually done with rolled eyes and a prejudged attitude) I always tell them that its for me, the animals, and the planet. A lot of times the reply from them is "I'm not gonna say a thing" (meaning, if they did say something it would be offensive to me and my diet). I'll tell them "Good, cause no one makes offensive remarks about my diet and gets away with it". HAHA! That usually shuts them up.

LOL, oh good lord. I think that's a very funny question. People are always surprised when I mention I've been vegetarian for four years now. This is generally after they've said something to the effect of, "Don't you MISS meat?" and I've said no. I love hope people act as if this is an unheard of practice.

B

just the other day with a coworker:

cw: so, are you still vegan?
me: duh. of course.
cw: for how long are you doing this?
me: what do you mean how long? forever. what do you think!!
cw: oh, i thought it was like a NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION OR SOMETHING.

When you (meaning anybody reading this) asks you "When are you going back to normal?", respond pleasantly, "I've never been to Normal." (http://www.normal.org) :D

For about a year or two after I told my neighbor that I was a vegetarian, every time she saw me, she asked me if I was still a vegetarian. I'd smile sweetly and tell her yes, I was. I think she got tired of asking, b/c she stopped after a while. <whew>

Oh gosh, I can relate...

My family says this about my veganism... the thing is... they're all vegetarian... you would think they could cut me some slack... but NO!!