Lent. Not Borrowed.

So Lent is back, because that's what time of year it is. I don't care enough tonight to find my previous Lenten posts, and tell you all the things I've given up in the years since I knew what Lent was. You probably don't care enough to read them anyway (if I'm wrong, just search for "Lent" on this here blog).

Anyway, the point.

This year, I am not "giving up" anything, per se. Instead, I've added something to my daily routine and something to my weekly routine, and I'm going to "give up" whatever I need to in order for them to happen.

I like this approach, because it will hopefully keep me from merely dieting/fasting/depriving myself. Instead, I'm focusing on what I'm adding to my life; and the necessary sacrifices are then in context.I am still very much making sacrifices, and very much going to be aware of the changes I'm making. But it certainly feels different than last year.

{In other news, I had a delightful visit with some old coworkers tonight. TIME FLEW. Um, it's not fair. I am reminded that one of my primary love languages is quality time, and I feel honoured that they came to see me, but also like I've still missed out on the real meat and potatoes of catching up (with seven of us in the room, we only got to a fraction of the conversations)!}

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Simone Weil: On "Forms of the Implicit Love of God"

Simone Weil time again! One of the essays in Waiting for God is entitled "Forms of the Implicit Love of God." Her main argument is that before a soul has "direct contact" with God, there are three types of love that are implicitly the love of God, though they seem to have a different explicit object. That is, in loving X, you are really loving Y. (in this case, Y = God). As for the X of the equation, she lists: Love of neighbor Love of the beauty of the world Love of religious practices and a special sidebar to Friendship “Each has the virtue of a sacrament,” she writes. Each of these loves is something to be respected, honoured, and understood both symbolically and concretely. On each page of this essay, I found myself underlining profound, challenging, and thought-provoking words. There's so much to consider that I've gone back several times, mulling it over and wondering how my life would look if I truly believed even half of these thi...

I Like to Keep My Issues Drawn

It's Sunday night and I am multi-tasking. Paid some bills, catching up on free musical downloads from the past month, thinking about the mix-tape I need to make and planning my last assignment for writing class. Shortly, I will abandon the laptop to write my first draft by hand. But until then, I am thinking about music. This song played for me earlier this afternoon, as I attempted to nap. I woke up somewhere between 5 and 5:30 this morning, then lay in bed until 8 o'clock flipping sides and thinking about every part of my life that exists. It wasn't stressful, but it wasn't quite restful either...This past month, I have spent a lot of time rebuffing lies and refusing to believe that the inside of my heart and mind can never change. I feel like Florence + The Machine 's song "Shake it Out" captures many of these feelings & thoughts. (addendum: is the line "I like to keep my issues strong or drawn ?" Lyrics sites have it as "stro...

The ROM, The Earth & Procreation

Disclaimer: This post is intended to generate discussion and a sharing of many opinions. It is NOT intended to judge or condemn anyone's life choices. I had an unexpected moment at the ROM last month. C and I were listening to a presentation for kids on wildlife conservation (or rather, I was listening, and C was eagerly anticipating what live animal would come out next), when a statement caught my attention and still hasn't let go. For most of history, the earth could provide enough resources for the earth's human population. But today, our population is growing rapidly, increasing by 250 000 people every day... Forty years from now, it will require 2 Earths to provide sustainably for our survival as a human species. But we only have 1 Earth. 250 000 people. Every day. That is roughly twice the size of my hometown. In one day. So I did a little math. (First, I rounded down to 200 000, just in case the figures were inflated or failed to account for some sort o...

* not with ink

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