Saturday, March 6, 2010

Do you have vegan friends?

If you are a baby boomer vegan, like I am, do you have any vegan friends? Although I am finding other vegans about my age in other states or areas (that I am interviewing for my book), I am finding it difficult to find even one locally.

How I wish for friends with similar interests! Lately, I am really getting to adore yoga as well, and likewise, I have not even one friend who is my age and interested in yoga. My other interests include Asian Art and fashion.

This is getting to be very frustrating - and lonely at times, I must admit!

Well, friends or not, I am on a path for my own self. I am on a path that makes me happy inside even if I am the only one in the state of Pennsylvania! Being vegan has changed my life and now yoga is transforming me as well, from the inside out.

Still, it would be so great to have someone to do things with that have similar interests.

Best wishes to you all, and I hope you have better luck than I have in this area. Let me know what you think, fellow baby boomer vegans!

Bonnie

13 comments:

veganhomemaker said...

I do not have one vegan friend. It can be lonely and frustrating. Thankfully both my adult daughters are vegan. I live in Burbank, CA and there isn't one vegan restaurant in this city(there are some good ones in towns around me). My lack of vegan companionship is probably why I visit so many vegan blogs daily.:)

janet said...

While I am vegetarian, not vegan, I am also a boomer and do not know any other vegetarians or vegans. All of my friends and family are omnis. But do not give up your ideals and good luck to you! At least there are lots of us online.

veganhomemaker said...

I wrote a comment on saturday, Did it not go through?

youngbon said...

Wow! Isn't that something that both of your daughters are vegan! You really had a good influence on them! My daughter and daughter-in-law used to be vegetarians but now they are both meat eaters.

For your sake, I wish you had a vegan friend your age too, (as I wish for myself) because I know it can be lonely. Lonely or not, nothing will make me change though, and I know you feel the same way.

Best wishes to you, veganhomemaker!

Bonnie

kansasvegan said...

I feel very fortunate in that I have met a couple of vegans, including some other boomers, through the local Vegetarian Meetup Group. I was vegetarian for over 20 years before going vegan about a year ago. At that point, I didn't know one other vegan so vegan blogs and podcasts were very important to me (and still are!) I, too, know how very lonely it can be and how important a sense of community is, at least online.

I live in Wichita, Kansas which is not exactly a vegan mecca, so I'm grateful for knowing even one other vegan. And I'm thrilled that we just got a vegan (except for a few items which contain honey) restaurant and we also have a vegetarian restaurant which has been open for just over a year now. I've also met some other aspiring vegans through my church - 1st Unitarian Universalist. I organized a vegan holiday potluck at the church in December and was pleasantly surprised at the turnout. So, I'm hopeful that things are changing, even though it's agonizingly slow.

If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend checking to see if you have a local Vegan or Vegetarian Meetup group. And, if not, maybe start one. There may be more vegans around you than you realize :)

youngbon said...

Dear Kansas Vegan,

Isn't that wonderful that you met some boomer vegans and that Kansas (of all places)has a vegan restaurant and a vegetarian restaurant! It's good, too, that your church was open to having the vegan pot luck and fantastic that you were surprised at the turnout. Very exciting!

Your suggestion about the vegan meet-up is a good one. Apparently you had good results with going.

Best wishes to you, Bonnie

Anonymous said...

Ido not have any vegan friends, also a baby boomer. Strange considering all of the radical moves we all made. My daughter and her husband are vegans and are just amazing! So lucky to have them. Thanks for bringing up this topic.

youngbon said...

You are, indeed, lucky to have a vegan husband and daughter! Now to convince some others to join us! Isn't it something when a person shares this life experience how we can enjoy a connection and an indescribable bond! I, like you, would surely like to share this experience with others my age, locally.

Best wishes to you and to your family, Bonnie

wendy said...

i don't have one (live) vegan friend, although i chat with some other bloggers. i'm not a baby boomer, i guess i am genX born in early seventies? wish i had someone local to hang with, trade recipes, and convert meat eaters with (haha, just kidding!).

youngbon said...

Wendy, you sound like a lot of fun and I hope you find at least one other vegan to be friends with so the two of you can have a good time converting others! Where do you live?

Unknown said...

I have been going vegan. Any recommendations on a good cookbook or two. Also, Bonnie, are you married and if so how can one get their spouse to join in? It would make the cooking much easier. Thanks!

Paula said...

No vegan friends here either. It can be lonely at times. My husband does eat meat but very little. Eats most meals with what I cook. I do miss having someone to talk with about my diet.

youngbon said...

Janet, I wish you had some vegetarian/vegan friends in your area. Do they have any vegetarian conferences? I just attended Vegetarian Summerfest, that the North American Vegetarian Society organizes each year, and it is tremendous fun to see a large number (800 this year!) of vegetarians/vegans that came out to the event. Even if they do not live locally, at least we know they are "out there." And online we are out there too! Best wishes to you, Janet. Bonnie