W hen someone you know decides they also want to be vegan, it’s cause for huge celebrations. I say celebrations, because the feeling of elation has many layers. There’s delight that someone you love ‘gets you’ and you now have a buddy to swap tips and share experiences with; that wonderful feeling of not being alone. There’s also the happy realisation that your actions and words have likely influenced this decision: someone trusted you enough to research, question, and make a lifestyle change as significant as you know it to be. A sense of relief can follow on from this (“Oh thank god they don’t all think I’m a weirdo!”), along with the realisation that you now have someone who will always invite you over for dinner. Score! Outside of the personal realm it can feel even more momentous: change is coming, change is happening, and you can see that change right before your very eyes and reach out and give it a hug. In short, it feels bloody marvellous. It’s the stuff of social media status updates, spontaneous presents in the shape of cookbooks, meals out and high fives. But what happens when that person turns round and tells you they’re not vegan anymore?
Delighting in failure