This year, I was thinking about giving up Googletalk while at work, but I have certain friends with whom our entire relationship is carried out over Gtalk and I am not willing to ignore those peeps for 40 whole days just so I can show off. I'm not even Catholic for heaven's sake.
I realize that the observation of Lent actually has nothing to do with my religious beliefs, but I still think it’s a great idea. Most of the Mormons I know try to give something up for the 40 days before Easter. In 1999, I tried to give up caffeinated soda. That did not go over so well. I did make it the full 40 days, but you’d better believe that the night before Easter I was with some friends at a restaurant, Dr. Pepper in hand, counting down the seconds until midnight hit and I could be done with that stupid idea.
2006 was lofty, I had four things to give up; only one of which was actually accomplished. (To those of you that used to get the old school email updates, forgive the regurgitation of this story, but it's a new medium, so I am using it again):
- Fast food: This was a terrible habit that developed because sometimes I work 12-14 hours a day and the last thing I want to do is to go home and cook whatever it is that has been sitting in my cupboard since the last time I went grocery shopping (2004). Hence, Baja Fresh has become my long-time friend (and enemy.) This was the only thing that I managed to complete successfully in 2006.
- Putting on my seatbelt BEFORE I throw my car into reverse: I have no idea how I got into this habit. I always have it on before I leave my parking lot, but I just somehow decided that turning on my iPod should be step number one and the seatbelt thing was bumped down.
- Online purchases: Yeah, right. Who was I kidding? I lasted about 3 days.
- Saying “Crap” (notice how I am not saying it, only typing it.): Earlier that month, my roommate greeted me with a weird look one morning. Naomi, my sweet, sweet, roommate said she had a dream in which I, for reasons still undetermined, said an expletive. I was shocked! Apparently, I had said something, somewhere that had gotten into Naomi’s psyche and now it was coming out her in dreams. I was really bothered by that. I had tainted a good person! In dismay, I asked her what I said and in a dead serious whisper, she said “C-R-A-P.” At that point, I laughed hysterically mostly because she thought it was a swear word.
But it did get me thinking: I did say that a lot and it could offend people and I don’t even know it. I should stop. That VERY SAME DAY, I got an email from my very best friend in 6th grade, Becky. (Shout-out to Becky!) In it, she wrote "Do you remember how much you used to love to say the word ‘crap’ when you were a kid?" Well, holy C-R-A-P. There it was; my sign that God REALLY wants me to quit saying that. It had obviously been a serious problem since I was 11.
Obviously, I tried to address all the major uber-meaningful things in 2006. I am not sure if I even bothered to try in 2007 and now I'm stumped for 2008. So, any suggestions? Leave them in the comments. You have 10 hours to recommend something. Ready, go.
10 comments:
You are better than me. I only gave dr. pepper for pregancy and then as soon as I was back in my room in was brought directly in. I won't even try to make that any sort of goal because I know it's unreal. I am proud of you to try.
I've been thinking about this one as well. I thought about giving up Diet Coke. . . .I need to be real about this one, but I'm thinking it could be the start of a longer thing. You've inspired me. Also, Meliss is also doing the Lent thing.
Ok, Maurs. Let's do that. Let's give up diet coke and see if we can make it last longer. Won't hurt!
Wagstaff- I agree, I am kind of nervous to see if I can do this, but I've slowly been cutting back because I'm not sleeping as well in my old age. We'll see how it goes! 2008: no more caffeine!
Awesome! That's going to be a hard one but you guys can do it. It helps a lot to have someone doing it with you.
I just have to figure out whether my non-work related online time during the day counts towards my hour...I have a feeling it should. But these five minute email breaks are my mental rest, so I'm a bit torn. Still pondering that one.
Good luck!!!!
I have given up Diet Coke! Yesterday I DID NOT stop for one on my way to class and although I had a headache and was tired, I perservered. I'm feeling ok about this one!
Ok, reading this blog (which I've never done before I received your email update!) I have to give up the C-R-A-P word. You kicked off that habit a way long time ago, and I realize that I still have that habit! Lent has started, but for good measure, I'll extend it another day! I say heck no to the caffeine though...my patients would get a very grumpy and somewhat sleepy nurse! Caffeine is part of my job!
BECKY!!
So good to hear from you! One of these days, I'll have to do a post about the good times we had in 6th grade! :)
I love Lent! I wish Mormons did it for real. I wish we got road to eternity bonus points for following through. For the past several years, I've given up all dessert and all candy - and I've never given in. Mind over matter. Sure, it sucks when we go to Chili's and my roommates order the Lava Cake and it sucks that I pass no less than 4 Dunkin Donuts every night. But there is this sense of empowerment when you can give up something that you love, but that perhaps doesn't or shouldn't love you - whether it be for 40 days, or forever. My giving up chocolate covered cake donuts is no different than giving up other, deeper distractions, frustrations, and sorrows. So, don't look at it as a 4 letter word, look at it as a chance to take out your emotional trash. Mind over matter.
So, it sounds like it's the common theme, and I realize I'm a bit late, but I'm giving up soda. Which isn't too hard for me because I don't drink it that often, but at the hospital there's a fountain with dr. pepper and barq's root beer (which happens to be my favorite of the common root beers), so that's a bit of a temptation. In aliance with your attempted goal last year I was going to try to not buy stuff from steepandcheap (if you haven't checked out that website, do it for sure right now, and you'll see why I love it) but I know that I am an addict and I have no chance to really obstain. So, pretty much the soda, and I'm also giving a hardy attempt at cutting back on sugar. Not cutting it out, because that's just too hard, and we know I don't like to do hard things. Anyway, good luck with whatever you decided!
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