“Profanity today may mean anything from bad taste to weak vocabulary to a superficial talent for doing as the Romans do.” Helen Valentine & Alice Thompson Better Than Beauty

Yeah, I Had Star Wars POGS. ‘Cause I’m Awesome.

I love Ash Wednesday.  Growing up in a Jewish household (my mother converted when she married my XSD; though my father took us to the Presbyterian church) I was always jealous when one Wednesday, a whole bunch of Catholic kids would disappear from school and return an class period later with ashes on their forehead.  I thought that was the coolest thing in the world, even cooler than POGS.

So when I started going back to church a few years ago, I was overjoyed that they were doing imposition of the ashes.  Growing up, I thought only Catholics got to get ashes.  So I went and when Rev. Mark drew the cross on my forehead, a little thrill went through me.  It was the thrill of doing something new, something that seemed forbidden and hidden when I was growing up.

I gave up swearing for Lent.  Not only for this project, but because I wanted to give up something I do every day that I truly enjoy.  I could give up chocolate, yes, but I don’t eat chocolate every day.  Swearing is something that is unbecoming in most company, clutters up my language, and makes me lazy.  Already today I caught myself inserting an F-bomb into a just an ordinary sentence, and I stopped myself, and I felt good.  There are better, more creative ways to express myself.

And if I do swear, I’ll make a checkmark.  Every check = $1, and on Easter Sunday, I’ll donate that much money to my church as my Easter offering.