Raw-isolation

[curlygirl82]

Hey all, I'm feeling really down and I'd like some perspective/help on this one.

So I was all excited 'cos I got my raw, dehydrated coconut in the mail. I whipped up some chocolate/coconut macaroons with agave nectar (this is the first I've made - still a newbie) and thought they were sooo delicious! So I brought some in to work tonight. Now, I work in a restaurant. And they all make so, SOOOO much fun of me for going raw. Usually I can just laugh it off. But tonight I brought in these macaroons, which I thought were out of this world, and I gave them some to try. The feedback was: "Oh, it's not... AWFUL," "Tastes okay once you get past how it looks like a turd," "Oh, wow, it actually tastes like chocolate and coconut! Good job!"

I was kinda crushed. I snapped back at them a little bit when they were debating eating them (looking at them like they were little turds), and said, "hey guys, you're not doing me any favors by eating these, I'm happy to eat them, I think they're great." I just feel so dumb for bringing them in, wasting them on people who're gonna hate them no matter what, just because they're "hippie food." They weren't cheap, and they were delicious, and I put a lot of love into them. I just wanted to share that with somebody. But they just made fun of me. It was hateful.

I guess the real issue, though, is that since I've gone raw, I feel so isolated. I'm so excited and enthusiastic about everything I'm learning and experiencing - it's hard to contain. So when people at work talk about how wasted they got over the weekend, and I say how excited I am that I harvested a bumper crop of alfalfa sprouts, they look at me really weird. I try to have "normal" conversations, but my definition of "normal" has changed, I guess. I'm trying to tell myself not to waste my time on these people anymore - no more food, no more telling them how excited I am about this or that new recipe... just no more, 'cos I know they're just looking to make fun of me. But I really don't have any friends outside of work. I just wish they could be supportive of me and my healing journey. But they're not, they're just hurtful.

I found a local group on Meetup.com, and they meet once or twice a month. So I'm counting the days till the next one, and hopefully I can make some friends there. But meanwhile, I just feel so isolated. Did anybody else go through this when you first went raw? Do you have any tips on how I can get through it? I'm really hurt. Thanks.

[oceanluv]

you are not alone, you have all of us here. Keep your chin up, you will meet fellow rawbies soon at your meetup. just enjoy your new recipes.....more for you if you don't have to share :)

[LotsaRaw]

Hang in there! I second what Oceanluv said, that is what this forum is for.

[Jenifae]

I'm so glad you found a meetup near you. I think I'm going to try to start one. I went to one that was supposed to be raw but, they were selling "supposed" raw chocolate but, when I read the ingredients it was not all raw besides the fact that it wasn't a support group or a meetup but, it was a advertising gig. :(

Don't feel too Weird. Everyone looks at me through the corner of one eye with a half-hearted smile..........while saying that's good or that's nice. But, I'm kinda used to that............story of my life. "The Weirdo"

The Reality is - is that "They Just Don't Get It". Their eyes and their tastes buds are so conditioned to cook, processed, preserved, altered food that not ony seeing but, let alone tasting real LIVE food not only looks weird to them but, diffently tastes weird to them because, their tastes buds are dulled from cooked food. Truely!

I took a Green Smoothie to a job and a girl laughed saying it looked like baby poop. Thank you so much...................I told her while smiling but, feeling assaulted. They truely don't get it and because, they feel threatened (I beleive) they attack.

Hang in there. You're better then reacting to them and thier juvenille delinquencies.

[Veganforlife]

Don't let them get to you. They are envious. They will see your health improving, if they haven't already and this is how they (childishly) are dealing with it.

Me personally? I wouldn't make anything else to share. I've done that a few times here at work - no one tastes them, they make fun of the foods, so the heck with them.

Don't waste your emotions on negative people. Surround yourself with others that are like you, have the same beliefs, principles, etc.

Read all you can about eating raw and the benefits.

Just ignore the ignorant ones.

[HolyGuacamole]

Don't waste your emotions on negative people.

Exactly, precisely what I was going to say.
Don't spend another nanosecond worrying about them and their silly behavior. They're operating from a place of ignorance and fear.
You're a sweet, open, loving person, which you made obvious by your effort to share something wonderful with the people around you. They don't know what to do with a shiny, happy, beautiful, radiantly healthy, generous, delightful human being who would like to see them all just as happy and healthy, too. The norm is to be sick and sad and closed off, so that seems pretty darn weird to them. You're scary! :eek:

You exposed them to something better, and that's all you can possibly do. If they don't want to get it, they don't want to get it, and it's their loss.

You just keep on keepin' on. You're not alone. We appreciate you.
:)

[curlygirl82]

Thanks, guys. You're just reinforcing what I told myself last night, but really needed to hear it. I cried a lot last night. To top it all off, I ran into one of the very few people I thought might be a friend at the grocery store. She hadn't returned my phone calls in awhile, so I just figured she was busy. Well, she said that my ex (a friend of hers) had told her he was uncomfortable with us hanging out. I was just so shocked and hurt - that he would feel his life was so small, the two of us being friends would take away from it - and that she, after promising me we'd be friends, would be so small as to listen to him. After feeling so isolated at work, it just made it so much worse to have that run-in, and feel like I really had nobody. Viva la meetup, huh?

Thanks again. It's really good to wake up this morning and get these messages. I appreciate and heart you guys. We'll be radiant together. So nya.

[oai]

i have the same problem with my family. :( as for my second family consisting of friends & the like, i can choose. :D

definitely don't make any for them anymore. that's a waste of good stuff, girl! don't let anyone get to you.

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Awww hun I'm so sorry that you're feeling this way. We've all had the same experience and yet we have arisen and become so much happier for it. You will, too - count this as a cleansing process, cleansing old people, old situations, old mindsets, etc. We love you!

I'm sure your macaroons were DELICIOUS!!! They sound soooo yummy!

I do want to put a bit of advice out there, for what has worked for me. If I bring food in, I never tell people it is raw unless they're "into that." The result is always, "YUM! I need that recipe!" and I say, "Oh yeah sure! It's really quick. And the cool thing is YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO COOK IT! Neat, huh?" (Funny how "No-Bake" and "No-Cook" recipes are getting such hype these days...)

Good luck to you in all that you do - you're definitely not alone. *hugs*

[Jenifae]

OMG - that is painful. I was painfully in love addiction with this guy who I thought was my "soul-mate" LOL! (now) and my Best Friend at the time watched me walk through all the hurt and pain of betrayel and lack of intimacy or committment and the same thing happened. I didn't hear from her and after about a month I left msgs saying "Okay, I"m worried........call me back" When she did finally call back she said "she had been struggling and needed to tell me that she was dating my ex-soulmate-love" :eek: WHAT? Needless to say.........right then and there she was no longer my best friend. Friends just don't do that. It's been several years or more now and since, then she's made amends and realizes that he was not worth losing our friendship over and that was nice but, once you cross over a line well, it just is never the same again.

I Affirm you NEW VIBRANT HEALTHY FRIENDS! :D

[Moretta]

They are probably just plain ol'jealous because you are eating very healthy and they are not and see the changes in you already. I would totally ignore them, (I know its hard) and just continue on with your RAWNESS journey.

Good luck.

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Jenifae, same happened here. My "best friend" dated my ex (who was sooo hard to get over, even though I initiated the parting). My friend and I "broke up" as well, but have since become friends again. Like you say, though, once a line's been crossed... It just isn't the same any longer. I still hold a bit of resentment, I guess, as well.

Curlygirl82, I forgot to comment on your issues with your friend. I'm sorry that you had to go through that :( Blessings and love to you in this hard time. That's rough.

[curlygirl82]

thanks for your healing and kind words, everybody. I really, REALLY appreciate it!