The Frazzled Scribe

Every year I make a Lent promise (also known as a Lent sacrifice or Lenten fast). The concept behind it is pretty simple. Jesus gave up his life for my sins, so I can give up something for the 40 days of Lent (which are modeled after the 40 days of temptation that Jesus spent in the wilderness).

I’ll admit: I don’t know the historical background of Lent promises (I even tried to look it up and The Google is even vague on the subject), but like most things humans do in an attempt to be interpretive, the practice has more personal benefit than anything else. Usually I contemplate what I will give up and I gravitate toward something. In the practice of giving it up, I end up learning a lot about myself and sometimes forming new and better habits.

There is, of course, also a practice of doing extra things instead of sacrificing something. To me, that’s all good and fine. But I kind of strive to do those things anyway. I donate money, time, my talents when the opportunities arise (although it’s probably not as much as I should). Personally, I feel like sacrifice teaches me a lot and puts my mind in a spiritually receptive place.

So…cutting to the chase. This year I feel called to give up social media for Lent. Obviously since I’m knee deep in a big, persnickety contest on Bariatric Foodie I cannot simply disappear. But as Nikki, I can. And I think I’m going to.

And you’d think I said I’d be injecting myself with the AIDS virus from some of the responses I’ve gotten! Some friends showed mild concern, others expressed they’d miss me. But I’ve gotten messages to the effect of, “But you can’t!!!” (Um, yes I can. I truly can.) In thinking about this, I’ve even sketched out how this is going to work.

On Ash Wednesday, February 13, I begin. At that time I’m going to pin a status update to the top of my profile explaining what I am doing. By then I hope to have gotten my phone number to the folks who actually would need it during that time. I end my Lent promise on Easter Sunday, March 31.

Like I said, I’ll still be around doing Bariatric Foodie stuff, but ask friends and family to respect that space. No messaging me there like, “Tee-hee, I know you’re not Facebooking but I just wanted to ask what you thought about Phaedra’s donkey booty video…” Yeah. No. None of that. A good rule of thumb: if it’s something you would post on Bariatric Foodie’s Facebook Wall even if I were around, green light. If no, red light. If in doubt, don’t do it!

And this is NOT a move to be separatist. For me the changes in my personality as a result of the social media culture in which we live are unacceptable. It’s unacceptable that I find myself Facebooking when I should be talking to my children. It’s unacceptable that I find myself checking it while in the car…DRIVING. It’s unacceptable that there is family I only speak with over social media. It’s unacceptable that the only conversation I’ve had with my grandma in the last six months is through her responding to my status updates.

So this is not to separate, but to unite. It’s not an admonishment of social media as a whole, but it’s increasingly counterproductive role in MY life.

So with that, let the countdown begin. Will it be hard? Yes it will! Lent promises aren’t supposed to be easy but this is THE most challenging one I’ve attempted so far. I have no idea what I’ll do with all that extra time I spend posting and replying. I think that’s where the “adding something” component could come in handy. Maybe I’ll volunteer. Maybe I’ll finish this manuscript I’ve been kicking around for four years. Maybe I’ll read the entire bible. Who knows?

But I can’t know…unless I try.

So please understand, friends. I’m not doing this TO you, but FOR me. And I think I’ll come out the other side better.