Thesrpuce.com defines Veganism as: a type of vegetarian diet that excludes meat, eggs, dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients. Many vegans also do not eat foods that are processed using animal products, such as refined white sugar and some wines. Seems reasonable enough. They go on to say " Vegan refers to either a person who follows this way of eating or to the diet itself."

Vegan: a particular diet that excludes all animal products
A Vegan: a person who eats a vegan diet

Simple enough - but, what about the person who enjoys a salad for lunch that is free of animal products? They are eating vegan meal, are they "a vegan"? If so, when they eat their dinner that includes chicken, are they no longer a vegan? To be more specific, perhaps we should say:

A Vegan: a person who eats exclusively a vegan diet.

That definition would exclude the "I am a vegan at lunch, but at not at dinner" people. But what about those who eat meat, eggs and dairy for years before choosing to no longer eat animal products? Is there a specific time period that must elapse between eating animals and not eating animals to be considered a vegan?

Personally, I enjoyed eating copious amounts of animals and animal produced foods for 45 years prior to choosing to eat a vegan diet. I was a big fat person, weighing up to 255 pounds and maintaining that weight with steak, eggs, ice cream, deli meats and milk-based protein powders. Does the period of time that must elapse after a last animal-based meal increase because I was not only a animal eater, but I was a BIG animal eater?

All attempts at sarcasm aside, there may be a simpler way to look at the question of "what is a vegan?" and that is to do away with the label, as it applies to a person, completely. What value is found in the declaration "I am a vegan"? In what specific situation is it critically to announce "I am a vegan"? From another perspective, how much fuel does the characterization of "a vegan" provide to those who ridicule a vegan lifestyle?

Over the 20+ years since I last enjoyed eating animals I have encountered very few if any circumstances in which saying "I am a vegan" brought value to a conversation or improved a circumstance.

As an alternative to being a vegan, what if we are humans who enjoy plant based nutrition? What if we are humans who enjoy the benefits of a fiber dense, nutritionally rich, cruelty reduced diet (and beyond to a cruelty reduced life style)? Who could imagine an honest reason to ridicule that?

Dropping the label, abandoning the need to be know as, "a vegan" could be a valuable step in the gentle sharing of our generally healthier, happier and less cruel way of being.