If you had asked me two years ago to describe myself in just a few words, on of the first out of my mouth most likely would have been "vegan" (for those unaware, veganism is similar to vegetarianism, but also excluding dairy, eggs, honey, etc). It was a big part of my identity then, mostly because as I first acclimated to my dietary choice, I had to constantly be conscious of what I ate and, more importantly, what was IN what I ate.

In the past year or so, I have hardly even thought about the matter. I am so used to eating the way that I do that I don't realize it is out of the ordinary until I find myself explaining to a new acquaintence or grocery shopping with non-vegan friends. Like someone who keeps kosher, I imagine, I just don't think "oh, I'm vegan, I have so many dietary restrictions, what are the ramifications of this?" on a daily basis.

Lately, though, my veganism has been in my thoughts quite frequently. I've finally figured out why- it was exactly three years ago, this month, that I became vegan in the first place. That 'anniversary' of sorts, even before I realized it consciously, has made me realize all over again what veganism means to me. Last week, actually, it came up in QU women's discussion group: We each picked three words/labels that describe ourselves, and centered the conversation around what we love and what we hate about them.

As I was thinking it through, I realized that there are some bad things about calling myself a vegan. So many people see me as some sort of extremist, especially given that I was raised in 'America's Dairyland', where every freeway exit leads one to a cheese shop, and not drinking milk is practically sacrilegious. So many connotations come with it- I must be a hippie, a flake, a masochist, or at the very least malnourished.

At the same time, there are very positive aspects to the label. I enjoy challenging societal norms, and veganism is one very concrete way to do so. Some people see my veganism as a sign of compassion, willpower, and commitment, all of which are character traits I certainly don't mind being assigned with. Less superficially, veganism has been nothing but a positive experience for me. I am doing something very real, and daily, to reduce my own personal consumption of natural resources. I rarely get sick, and my weight, while maybe not quite what it should be, is incredibly stable. After three years, I imagine that I have spared the lives of a good many animals. I have reaped all of these benefits from dietary habits that have become second nature to me and require little effort to fulfill from day to day. Not a bad deal, eh?

I suppose this entry has served as a sort of anniversarial performance review of my veganism. It's doing just fine, I'd say, and looks to be in place for a long time to come. Have any questions about what I eat? Why I eat the way I do? Drop me a line, and I'll be happy to explain.

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Hearing: Deep Forest- I'm totally hooked on this CD...

Reading: Lecture notes and text chapters for tomorrow's Social Psych exam