Kiss My Ash

Welcome to Kelsey's Lenten Blog!

Each year I toil over what I am going to give up for Lent. Okay, that's an exaggeration. I don't actually toil. I don't usually realize it's Ash Wednesday until I see my first black-foreheaded Catholic. No, that's a lie too. I don't usually realize it's Ash Wednesday until I see my second black-foreheaded Catholic. When I see the first one, I think to myself "what is on her face? Should I tell her? I don't know her very well, but if I had a big black smudge on my forehead, I'd want a stranger to tell me." And then I see a second person with a more defined cross and I remember it's Wednesday and then it dawns on me that I've stumbled upon Ash Wednesday without even deciding what I'm giving up for Lent.

I'm not Catholic, I'm United Methodist. We aren't required to give anything up for Lent. But I usually like to challenge myself just to see if I can do it. I've given up soda, dessert, and fast food among other things. I always thought it would be cool to give up mirrors, although that one could be tricky. My roommate freshman year gave up Facebook, which I thought was completely absurd. And I'm not really sure about the logistics of that whole "I'm giving it up for Lent but I can do it one day a week" thing, but I don't really see the point.

My pastor (back when I used to go to church regularly) once encouraged us to do something positive for our Lenten promise rather than giving something up. So this year, I've decided to start a Lenten Blog. How is that positive? Well, I'm a writing major, and I've come to realize that I simply do not write enough. I like to write, but I just don't have time to write every day. But today I am making a Lenten promise to myself to write a little bit every day. To sit down in front of my computer for at least a half an hour every day and move my fingers and see what comes out.

So here 'goes. I don't know if anyone's reading, but get ready for 40 days of craziness, absurdity, and sass.