Sanuk D

I don't know what I'm doing here, I should be someplace else.

Elvis has not received my last poke on Facebook.  I know this because I tried to poke Elvis again just now.  Facebook would no let me.  It would seem as if Elvis has not logged into Facebook since last decade — or for you decade birthers out there, since last year.  While I suspect his absence is something of a pose to cover for the fact that a toddler and one on the way will pretty much fill up your day, his absence also brings me a pang of longing for Lent ‘09.  That was the Lent in which I gave up Facebook, after which the importance of Fb in my life has somewhat faded or perhaps been put into its right place.

That was the Lent that got me into Lent at least as far as giving something up.  Prior to that, I kind of felt like giving up crap for Lent was as crap as making New Year’s resolutions.  It’s fine for the amateurs, but since I am a year round spiritual dude, who needs to set aside Lent in particular.  Well, I do.  Or did, as it regarded the FaceB obsession.  The trick this year is to come up with something equally as important to get off of.

My spiritual ass would be a good place to start.  The thing about Lenten math is this: you want the spiritual side of the equation to go up by one versus the not spiritual side.  Most people think about taking the not spiritual side down a notch to accomplish the Lenten New Equilibrium.  I decided this time around to take the spiritual side up a notch.  (It goes to 11, after all.)  I’m not saying I will be more spiritual, because I don’t think I have a lot of control over that.

I am saying I will take more spiritual action everyday for the next 40 +/-.  This I will do by rocking Morning Prayer like I’m Thos. Merton.  He had mad skillz on the MP, yo.  Every morning during this time there will be a point at which I can stop reading from the Book of Common Prayer and add some original material.  It would be very helpful if we could crowd-source this part.  Helpful to me anyway.  So if you have a little somethin-somethin you want transmitted to the Big Chief, leave me a comment or send an email to sawadee at sanukd.com or tweet @Sanuk_D or post it on my Facebook page.  I’m gonna be checking that page like every frickin’ day this Lent.

This continual snomageddon is beginning to have a body count.  Reports have been coming in about people who have died shoveling snow.  As we face the possibility of having to shovel the driveway for the third or fourth time, I’m starting to see their point.  Even the purchase of a new shovel this morning — along with a sled-disk for Tallulah — can’t generate enthusiasm for another snow adventure within me.

The Subdude slipped getting out of his car to check the mail or open a gate or some such mundane act.  The result is several fractured vertebrae.  That sounds extraordinarily painful to me.  The circumstances of this fall gave rise to the real possibility that he could be run over by his mother-in-law.  Fortunately, Cuz rescued him before word of his vulnerable state spread.  I wonder if there is anything in the Merton cannon which speaks to this particular situation.

There is likely plenty which speaks to what will have to follow.  I’m guessing there is not much that can really be done for fractured vertebrae.  Having to be still and know that the process is happening sounds fine in theory.  Practical application, however, may be more trying.  Practicing a discipline is easier when I can be actively engaged.  John Milton was right in saying that, despite the difficulty in staying put, “those also serve who stand and wait.”  At least we are almost to Lent, which is supposed to suck anyway.