How To Become Vegan

Be friendly. Be polite. Ask for what you want. If the other person gives
you the impression that they don’t know what they’re doing, bypass them
and make your own independent arrangements. Bring in outside food if
that’s what it takes. But don’t act like you’re doing someone a disservice for
requesting a nonviolent meal.
In the recent past, I was at an event, and there was a buffet lunch
provided with virtually no vegan options. There was another vegan at the
event too, and I noticed that he was looking a bit forlorn and awkward with
nothing but a few leaves of romaine lettuce on his plate. We got to talking,
and I told him that since there wasn’t anything decent at the buffet, I asked
someone to make me a veggie sandwich from the kitchen and that they’d be
bringing it out soon. He said something like, “I didn’t know that was
possible.” I asked him if he wanted one too, and he did, so I helped him
request one as well, which made him a lot happier than just eating plain
lettuce for lunch. He’d been vegan for only two years, but apparently he
hadn’t yet learned that being vegan means asking for what you want. I
encouraged him to ask for what he wants if he runs into a similar situation
down the road — no need to feel shy about it.
People can always decline to help you, but in my experience that rarely
ever happens, and even when it does happen, it’s normally because of