Big applause for Ash Wednesday, everyone!
-or-
Let's give it up for Lent!
He probably doesn't know it, but there's something quietly inspiring about my brother-in-law, Steve Martin. He's a good guy and I found myself talking to him about the traditions of Catholicism over Thanksgiving, Lent in particular.
I've never had many inclinations toward Catholicism, but hearing Steve talk about it made me realize how many beautiful aspects there are to its liturgy. So... I decided then and there to give Lent a try.
I'll admit it: I'm cheating a bit. Traditionally, you're supposed to use your sacrifice to remind you to pray or consider the holiness of God and doot-doot-bebop-shoowop. I'll give it a go, but mostly I'm doing it as a sort of self-experiment: just how important to me is what I'm giving up?
But what should it be? Steve said it could really be anything... an aspect of your diet, a portion of your time, something you enjoy, even a bad habit you've developed.
So here it is: for 40 days and 40 nights, I'm giving up swear words.
I know, I know, "what's technically a swear word?" Well, I thought long and hard about it and came up with the answer: it's any word I would censor myself from saying around my nieces and nephews.
Anyhow, experiments like this are fairly useless without accountability, so cast your eyes in the upper-right to see my ham-handed attempt at staying honest: The Cuss Counter. Every single time I let something slip, I'll post a hit on the counter. Sadly, Ash Wednesday isn't even over yet and I've already started ticking away. Nonetheless, I'm going to do my very best. No spoken swears. No written swears, either. No singing along with songs containing swears.
Also, I've tried to order the Cuss list in, appropriately, descending order (by level of depravity). By the way, if you can't figure out what any of them are, ask anyone between the ages of 12 and 18. They'll be glad to fill you in.
So, wish me luck. If I know myself, this'll be one he-- erhm.. right. --one heck of a challenge.
Oh, and be sure to look me up on Easter Sunday. I'll be that enormously relieved-looking fellow letting fly with a litany of pure filth like you've never heard.
I've never had many inclinations toward Catholicism, but hearing Steve talk about it made me realize how many beautiful aspects there are to its liturgy. So... I decided then and there to give Lent a try.
I'll admit it: I'm cheating a bit. Traditionally, you're supposed to use your sacrifice to remind you to pray or consider the holiness of God and doot-doot-bebop-shoowop. I'll give it a go, but mostly I'm doing it as a sort of self-experiment: just how important to me is what I'm giving up?
But what should it be? Steve said it could really be anything... an aspect of your diet, a portion of your time, something you enjoy, even a bad habit you've developed.
So here it is: for 40 days and 40 nights, I'm giving up swear words.
I know, I know, "what's technically a swear word?" Well, I thought long and hard about it and came up with the answer: it's any word I would censor myself from saying around my nieces and nephews.
Anyhow, experiments like this are fairly useless without accountability, so cast your eyes in the upper-right to see my ham-handed attempt at staying honest: The Cuss Counter. Every single time I let something slip, I'll post a hit on the counter. Sadly, Ash Wednesday isn't even over yet and I've already started ticking away. Nonetheless, I'm going to do my very best. No spoken swears. No written swears, either. No singing along with songs containing swears.
Also, I've tried to order the Cuss list in, appropriately, descending order (by level of depravity). By the way, if you can't figure out what any of them are, ask anyone between the ages of 12 and 18. They'll be glad to fill you in.
So, wish me luck. If I know myself, this'll be one he-- erhm.. right. --one heck of a challenge.
Oh, and be sure to look me up on Easter Sunday. I'll be that enormously relieved-looking fellow letting fly with a litany of pure filth like you've never heard.
posted by Jeremy Bear at
7:29 AM
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