A friend once told me that what would save me would be my writing. (Evidently this guy never heard of that fellow Jesus.) Writing has always been important to me, an indispensible clarifier of my thinking, a fulfillment of my creative impulses, and the source of my pride. But very often, I don't do it. I hide my lamp under a bushel and don't write anything.
Usually this is attributable to a lack of time, to perfectionism, to procrastination, to the desire to clarify or research my thoughts further before I set them down or commit to them.
I have always admired the writers of blogs. They seem more comfortable with themselves than I usually perceive myself to be. In any case, they are comfortable enough to write something without a crippling sense of self-indulgence. But I have never known how to stick with one. How can I write something so loose without becoming terribly self-conscious of my failings?
So when a friend's blog began naming some of the Commmandments of the Blogosphere, my interest was piqued. Her pet peeves include blogs that claim to be "random musings." She further claims that others object to folks writing about what they had for lunch as the penultimate example of self-indulgence in blog writing. (It's too bad I don't have a cat at present.)
This blog exists so that I write. Its purpose is to remove the stumbling blocks that keep me from writing.
What if, therefore, I were to inoculate myself against self-indulgence by plunging into it? Shamelessly write about my random musings and what I had for lunch. Then, by contrast, anything else I write seems relatively cogent and applicable.
Therefore, every main post (I reserve the right to make short comments that do not fit the formula) must include two parts: some random, (more or less) ignorant musing, and then a list of what I had for lunch. If I post multiple times a day, I may write about other meals as well.
So here I am. Here we are. I encourage commenters to be self-indulgent as well, albeit nice. Commenters are encouraged, but not required, to write about what they had for lunch.
Today's lunch was more leftovers: roast beef made in a slow cooker with vegetables. It was rather gravy-y, so I crushed cheap saltines into it. Water on the side, and two Whoppers candies.
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Of course, some might claim that the ultimate self-indulgence in writing is meta-commentary about what you are writing and why you are writing it.
"As I was getting ready to write this blog post I was thinking..."
Midnight snack: Chicken and Cheese frozen burrito, microwaved in wax paper.
Oh, how I miss these actual conversation on the third floor!
For breakfast I had half of a blueberry bagel and coffee. Because I managed to gain two pounds last week! Could it be a tumor?? Or just regular, run-of-the-mill fat? Sadly, I'm hoping for the tumor.
Those were great conversations. I really miss the luxury of school study lounge time.
It's not a tumor. It's an evil, lying weight-measuring device.
I haven't eaten anything yet this morning, so I'll mention yesterday's lunch: church chili with saltines, cheese, and corn bread. On the side was a Doritos salad(!), water, and a cookie.
Yes, yes, yes! My Lenten discipline was to "do my paperwork!" I delivered it on Thursday. Can I be done with Lent now?
For breakfast, once again, I had half of a blueberry bagel and coffee. Trying to rid myself of tumor, fat, lying devices.
Serious congratulations on the paperwork--that is such a chore to get done. All the self-examination and pressure to present yourself well while also being honest--it's a painful experience. It took me forever to get it done, and now I am MUCH happier in my new situation.
You are choosing the wrong person to bad-mouth Lent with, though. Finally, cultural permission to get gloomy! And permission to focus much more exclusively on worship services and teaching. Who could ask for more?
And if you get frustrated with the season's discipline, consider that the failure to achieve your desired perfection is one of the desired effects: honest humility often comes from failure, not success.
Lunch today was homemade chicken wraps. We grilled some chicken tenders on a George Foreman grill yesterday, and then put them in the refrigerator. Today, I warmed the chicken in the microwave with some mozarella cheese to melt together. Heated a tortilla in the George Foreman grill, and put the meat, cheese, and some lettuce inside. Drank leftover cold coffee and water (sequentially, not mixed). And stale Lay's original chips.
For dessert, some chocolate brownie thing with m&m type candy on top. Probably a Little Debbie, but it was lost in our pantry for a long time and slightly squished, so I can't be sure.
The paperwork sucks!! SUCKS. Thank you for the congratulations.
How funny that, in some ways, the point of Lenten disciplines is to fail. I don't usually tell them that, though, until Maundy Thursday or so. They have to TRY at least! ;)
Today for lunch I ate at Fazoli's! I had spaghetti with meat sauce, a salad with light Italian dressing, breadsticks, and lemonade.
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