Hopefully by the time you get to this point life is sailing. You have wonderful Significant Other (SO) who just happens to be Vegan and you couldn't be happier. Maybe even your friends and family have accepted this lifestyle bizzare yet manageable. For once in your life, everything seems to be right....

Then the questions and comments start....

"You're not going veggie are you?"
"I hope YOU don't start eating like that."
"Does he/she let you eat meat?"
"Oh, I didn't think that you still ate meat since you starting seeing him/her.."

And on and on. It's enough to make you start questioning your lifestyle. This is only natural since you've started dating a Vegan. When you're around the Vegan way of life for a while, and espically if you're trying to be supportative of your Vegan SO it's only natural that you start to see things from their point of view:

• You start seeing meat as formerly living rather than just tasty.
• You being thinking a little bit before smashing a lizzard that's gotten inside the house.
• You realize that veggies can be a good meal even without a meat entree.

This is when the panic sets in....You think that you may be converting to Vegan, Vegetarian at the least. Should you be worried?

Astonishingly....no.

Take a deep breath and relax. If you have gotten this far in the relationship, your SO probably has adjusted to you continuing to eat meat just as you have adjusted to eating vegan dinners. If they wanted a Vegan partner they wouldn't still be with you. The most important thing to realize that that becoming vegan or even vegetarian is a very personal matter that cannot be forced on anyone. Many many succcessful people in this world eat meat, and you can be one of them!!

If you find yourself questioning your meat-eating lifestyle take some time and examine your feelings and ask yourself some hard questions.

• "Do you really want to give up meat and cheese?"
• "Would I become vegan just to make my SO love me more?"
• "Do I want to do this to be 'cool' or 'trendy'?"
• "Would I be happy with this decision?"

If, after reflection, you decide that you would like to continue to eat meat, then by all means continue to do so! I'm sure your SO would rather you be happy consuming some meat than be miserable jonesing for a tripple cheese pizza all the time. You can be happy with your decision, I know I have. I still eat meat, Denise does not. When we cook, 99% of the time I cook vegan meals. When I'm alone, most of the time I have some meat or dairy. When we have a cookout, I'm in charge of the meat for our meat eating friends. Does this make me a bad person? No on your life buddy. It just goes to prove that dissimilar people can co exisit.

If, after reflection, you decide that you would liike to give going vegan a shot, go for it. I'm sure your Vegan SO will be more than willing to help as well as being supportive if you have some setbacks. It's not an easy thing to do in today's culture, tho it is getting easier. The great thing is, if you give Veganism a try and decide you don't like it....you can start eating meat and dairy again!! It's not like a sex-change operation that's forever (or really expensive to reverse), give it a shot if you want to, you don't have anything to lose.

And if you don't want to, I'm behind you.