Every year about this time, I always find myself sitting around some dinner table with some group of friends or family when someone spontaneously raises their voice in some relatively important manner: "God -- I need to figure out something to give up for Lent."
Now, despite the obvious humor in aforementioned person's statement, they always tend to spark up a conversation about Lent lasting for roughly the next five minutes or so.
Things like what to give up, what not to eat, the motives behind it all and what everyone's doing later on that night are discussed.
However, I always end up on one end of the conversation.
As a little background, I am born and raised Catholic; confirmed so during my eighth grade year, and have attended masses irregularly since.
And by irregularly, I mean Christmas, and if I am lucky, Easter.
So, I'm obviously not the best little Catholic schoolboy. It has been a long time since I have fasted for Lent, which by most accounts means giving up meat on Fridays.
I barely manage to wake up on Fridays, let alone worry about what I'm eating. It seems as if people forget to follow this fasting plan even when they are consciously doing so. Of course, many of my friends who slip up usually laugh it off, while saying "It's okay -- I'll say a few prayers later."
Talk about your stereotypical Catholics.
The situation is similar when it comes to giving something up for Lent: I can't remember the last time I tried.
Besides, I could count on one hand how many people I know that talk or think about kicking a habit for lent. Even then, an inevitable few never end up making it past a week or two of practice.
The majority never make it past the preliminary thinking stage.
So, when Lent rolls around, I smile, congratulate the people with more willpower than I and carry on conversation.
Criticize and ridicule me all you want -- I'm not going to change my ways. We're enabled our own right to believe in this country, and I certainly enjoy taking advantage of it.
Besides, the great thing about religion is that you can believe as much or as little as you want to; in my eyes, at least.
This doesn't mean I am not about supporting those who heavily follow their faith, and it is for that very reason that I have taken the time to assist those out there who have yet to organize their penance for the Lent soon approaching.
We will start off simple: Students here at Ball State could stop missing class, but more importantly stop using Gradebook to E-mail everyone about acquiring notes or to inform the class of a party.
Faculty, staff and students could give-up bottling in their angers and frustrations about the way things are done here or abroad by speaking their mind.
At the same time, closed-minded students could let the above mentioned group of students speak out without being slaughtered with ridicule.
The Indiana High School Athletic Association could quit running those ridiculous "What's Your Choice" commercials...especially on CNN.
The University of Colorado football team could give up sex altogether.
Ball State University could give up the oh-so-popular one liner to the outside world: "No comment."
Apply above reasoning to the Board of Trustees.
And, if you are Howard Dean, you could just try giving up altogether.
Yearrghhhh...I guess some people start Lent a little earlier than others.
Write to Dave at heydave@bewilderedsociety.com
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