Monday, March 9, 2009

40 Days and 40 Nights...

Apparently it is Lent and Catholics all over are giving up an array of things for forty days and forty nights. As someone who is not Catholic or religious, I am fascinated with all the stuff people give up.

My understanding is you have to choose something that is a true sacrifice – something that would be very hard to live without. As a Miami alum you’d think I’d have this down pat by now. I mean you were a minority if you weren’t Catholic, one of the only ones who stuck around Easter weekend when Oxford turned into a ghost town and drank herself silly (two of the best weekends in college). I sometimes forget how many are out there and was shocked when they started coming out of the woodwork all around me.

I find it quite interesting that most things sacrificed had to do with food. All of a sudden I had to constrict what I ate because my roommate had given up meat. Although I have to admit, we did go to an amazing seafood joint in Irving Park, Glenn's Diner. A great deal of people gave up the following

  • Soda
  • Cheese
  • Meat
  • Starbucks
  • Buying lunch
  • Carbs
  • Shots

However, I have yet to find anyone who gave up sex, liquor, coffee, TV or cigarettes. Sure people gave up Starbucks and shots, but they still are able to make their own coffee and drink liquor, beer and wine. So where’s the real struggle in that? None of the true vices were given up, because lets be honest, who could really go 40 days without those? And you have to actually partake in them to give them up. Just because you’re on a dry spell doesn’t mean all of a sudden your amazing, because you gave up sex…none of that!

Is it all a way for girls to proclaim their food neuroses out in the open? For the next 40 days they constrict what they eat, drop pounds and then on the 41st day are right back in the saddle? What’s the motivation behind it, how do you choose? What on earth would I give up? Good thing I don’t have to! I can have my Starbucks at work, my beer at the bar, my cheese on the weekend AND eat it too!

So, I want to know, what’s the craziest thing you’ve heard given up? What’d you give up this year? Do we have anyone who went for the gold and is in withdrawal? Comment here and let me know!

Attraction is not a choice,
flats

3 comments:

kelsemb said...

"The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ."

- totally makes sense you'd give up carbs. totally.

30by30inSix said...

well... i once gave up liquor (all alcohol actually) as a senior in high school which was extremely difficult. I also went without facebook sophomore year and AIM freshman year in college. which weren't so easy. and yes, i do think some people give up foods and extravagant expenses (starbucks)for the wrong reasons (to drop pounds or save green). the point of the tradition is to willingly go without something which is a daily factor in your life and experience true sacrifice. it should be difficult. its supposed to be difficult because in essence, what ever you have chosen to go without and however difficult and unpleasant it may be for you, it is nothing in comparison to the sacrifice jesus made with his life...

and there you go flats, your daily dose of theology!


sex would be tough, but somewhat misguided (unless youre in porn and youre sacrificing your livlihood)

Cupcakes and Cashmere said...

chocolate. i would rather die.