Ash Wednesday

[klwilliams]

Today, as I've done on Ash Wednesday for the past several years, I went to morning mass. I like the Lenten season because it's a good time for reflection and for taking stock of where I am. One side effect of going to mass on Ash Wednesday, though, is that the priest rubs ash in the shape of a cross on your forehead. For the previous two years, about twenty percent of the people I worked with were Catholic of some sort or other (I'm Anglican), but at my new company, everybody (except my boss, who was an altar boy once) kept asking me why I had a black spot on my forehead. I suppose I missed a great chance at proselytizing, but since I hate proselytizing, I just told them it was there because it was Ash Wednesday, and left it at that.

I also immediately failed at my Lenten resolution, which was to give up sweets, because I had an extremely dry mouth all day as a side effect of some medication. About the middle of the afternoon I was in enough pain (after drinking enough water to float a boat) that I went and bought chocolate shakes for my entire department (which today meant I got one for my boss as well as myself). Fortunately, it soothed my throat very well.

(I should probably explain that I really can't diet anymore, after doing the HMR sludge thing several years ago. I'm pretty sure that scarred me, mentally at least, for life. However, giving up sweets for Lent is not the same thing as dieting at all. Nope. Not at all.)

Comments

[mevennen.livejournal.com]

There's a big Catholic church opposite me and everyone duly appears at this time of year with a little smudge.

Sympathies for the dry mouth. I had to have a stone removed from one of my salivary glands some years ago and scarring has meant that it doesn't work properly: I have a permanently dry mouth. Very unpleasant.

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

Sympathies on the constant dry mouth. I hate having that.

[vincam.livejournal.com]

Maybe the dry mouth is God's way of saying, "Choose something else." Or, perhaps to refine the choice to something more specific.

One year, while we were setting up for a pre-rehearsal dinner for the Steeple Players, a teenager in the play was talking about how she'd given up carbonated drinks for Lent. I picked up a mostly-empty bottle of flat Dr. Pepper, and said, "Here, you can have this, then. It's no longer carbonated."

I gave up the local burrito grill this year. Their nachos were getting to be a bad habit, so I'm laying off for six weeks. A few years ago it was chocolate, and since then I've had a much easier time of quitting chocolate entirely. There's something to be said for this tradition.

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

That's pretty much my take on it. I like this time for reflection, a part of which is examining my bad habits, most of which revolve around poor nutrition, not enough exercise, and procrastination.

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

I usually give up privation for Lent.

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

Which makes sense, in your case. In fact, you should eat more. You're skin and bones.

[sfmarty.livejournal.com]

Giving up sweets. Does that mean candy and cakes? Does it include artificial sweeteners? If it doesn't, I use Dryers No Sugar added frozen fruit bars as a mouth cleanser and throat soother. Tastes good too. Safeway has them on sale from time to time. Two boxes for $6 instead of one box for $3.99 or so. I had to give up sugar some time ago. Took me about two weeks to not be interested in sugar any more.

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

I'm mostly trying to replace snacking on junk food with healthier things, and not having huge desserts. That's a good idea about the Dryers bars, though. Thanks.