Lent For The Non-Religious

I’m not Catholic. I was raised in a Christian home but I haven’t attended a church service in years, maybe decades. As I’ve gotten older, I have become more agnostic. (It’s a long and winding story of how I got to this point so I’m not going down that path….for now.)

 

"An agnostic position is one that leaves open the question whether there exists a god or gods, professing to find such a question unanswered or unanswerable. For the atheist, the question has been answered, and in the negative."

-Jaroslav Pelikan

 

With that said, I do admire the idea of giving up something for Lent. It shows a sense of committing to making a change in one’s life. Traditionally something that is considered a luxury or vice is given up. Like millions of people, especially library support staff, I pretty much live from paycheck to paycheck. So while there are some luxuries, there aren’t a lot.

As for vices, I don’t really have any of the more traditional ones. I don’t drink a lot or do drugs. I don’t gamble much, an occasional trip to Cripple Creek, but I get bored and tire of losing money.

I haven’t really kept up with any of my New Year resolutions (see “The 3 Rs”) but I haven’t been that productive in other areas of my life recently either. As I thought about why, I realized I spend a lot of time surfing the web.

Mindlessly surfing.

It’s not just Facebook. It’s Netflix, Good Reads, YouTube, Library Thing, etc.… I spend a lot of time adding items to wish lists or to read/watch queues but I don’t actually read or watch them. I constantly check and recheck Facebook and some other sites in case someone has posted something new. I can spend hours sitting in front of my trusty laptop and do absolutely nothing. This has interfered with what I really want or need to do.

So starting from March 5th (Ash Wednesday) to April 19th (Easter Eve), I am giving it up for Lent.

No more Facebook. There are some things that automatically upload to FB from other sites such as this blog but I will not be perusing the site for the purpose of looking at all the recipes, jokes, etc., that everyone posts over and over and over. My phone alerts me to any private messages or friends requests so I’ll answer those.

I’m only going to go to Netflix or YouTube if I am actually going to watch something and not search the catalog for items to add to the queue. 

Good Reads or Library Thing, only to update what I have read.

Then it’s onto the 3 Rs. Reading, writing, and learning.

If you want to get in touch with me, why not do it “old school”.

Email me or call me.

Maybe write a letter or send a postcard.

 

 

While writing this I was listening to " Mona Lisa" from "Parallax" by "Atlas Sound"