Okay lent, it is just you, me and 40 days of complete and total dedication. I appreciate you, as I appreciate the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made to save us all, but we all know that my commitment is nothing in comparison to that of the big JC. That being said, there are some things that I should give up in the name of lent that I am simply unable to, or I might die.
I should give up technology. Yes, all of it. I should refrain from facebooking/emailing/blogging/tweeting, or any other kind of –ing that I do daily on a computer. Am I any different than the typical 20-something? No, but I do find it peculiar that I reward completed tasks at work with Facebook or gchat time. Its like I am a member of grown up summer camp, sans nap time: I have snack time, lunch time, work time, and facebook/gchat time. Why am I not giving up technology? I like to think of my gchat time as my classroom doodling. Studies show that if students doodle during class, their brain remains active and focuses better…same goes for my work and Facebook. No one ever said that brief mindless distraction was unhealthy, plus I have many a valuable conversation while on my “brief” breaks.
I should give up television. My weekday ritual is always the following: work, commute, gym, shower, television. My weekend ritual is always the following: recover, television, gym, television, out (preferably dancing.) I watch way too much television and I am not ashamed to admit that I enjoy the mind numbing, thoughtless entertainment that it provides me. Why am I not giving up television? Because television helps me unwind; it is often merely background noise for other things I am doing, particularly anything to do with technology (see above paragraph.) My mother finds me to be unusually high strung, so I don’t plan on removing an item that can unwind me, per say.
I should give up my cell phone. My name is Kristin, and I am completely addicted to my crackberry. I can text, call, email, take pictures, and play Brickbreaker all with the scroll of my track ball. My addiction has reached a new level in recent years, as I now experience the “phantom vibration.” The phantom vibe, for those of you who don’t consider your phone to be as valuable as opposable thumbs are, is when you feel a vibration similar to that of a cell phone vibration, only to then check your phone to find that there was no vibration coming from your phone. It is a tell tale sign of addiction, and if you also experience the phantom vibe, I am sorry to have broken the news to you in this manner, but you are also addicted to your phone. Why am I not giving up my cell phone? Well, in case there is an emergency, of course!
I should give up candy and alcohol. Many of my food and beverage demons fall into either category, particularly candy. Whether it be Swedish Fish, Sour Patch, or any kind of chocolate, I am always in the mood for a sweet treat. 10AM dip into the office Swedish Fish stash? Sure! I mean, I am already in the kitchen fixing my oatmeal, why not throw a few fish in my palm for the long walk back to my cube. Why not give candy up? Because I feel like my candy cravings are out beat by my other food demons, namely the salt family.
I should give up talking badly about myself. I can tend to become the anti-Kristin cheerleader when I really get myself going. Some say they are each their own toughest critic, and I am one to fall completely into that category. Then again, if you aren’t completely honest with yourself, who can you expect to be? Regardless, some think that I can be too hard on myself, so Lent would be an excellent opportunity for me to praise more, and judge less, but realistically, that will not happen. Why am I not giving up self-disparaging remarks? Because if I accidently slip up, which is bound to happen, I will then continue to harp on the fact that I failed. Here enter perpetuating cycle of self doubt; counter productive, don’t you think?
So, what am I giving up for lent you might ask? Well, for a while, it was a toss up between Goldfish and swearing. Within the last few months, Goldfish has become an entire food group by its lonesome. Unhealthy, and counter productive to my calorie counting diet, to say the least. I love the fishes cuz they’re so delicious (and also have a uniquely satisfying cheddar saltiness and quick crunch that make my stomach smile.) Therefore, giving up Goldfish will be difficult, and a daily challenge to say the least, but not enough to make me completely and totally miserable.
Should I give up swearing? I am not sure, as I am not a huge potty mouth, but I do use a few profanities here and there. My father firmly believes that women who swear are completely unattractive, and he thinks all men also feel the same. Obviously my swearing habits are the reason I am single. Sigh. At any rate, I think that I can consciously work on decreasing my use of profanity without the Lent excuse. To be honest, giving up Goldfish will be more of a challenge.
The verdict? See you on April 5, 2010, Goldfish. I will miss you dearly.
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