28 x 28: February Sixteen

Today is Fat Tuesday or, for those of us with a French inclination, Mardi Gras. It is a day of excess before the traditional fasting of the Lenten season. Mardi Gras is celebrated in a wealth of ways in a wealth of different cultures, but no matter the venue the basics remain the same; indulgence before practised reservation. But why do we have such an excessive day? As I previously stated, today is the final celebration before the beginning of Lent. Lent is a religious holiday wherein we are encouraged to fast or at the very least abstain much as it is believed Jesus Christ did for forty days and nights before the beginning of his public ministry. During this time it is said Christ endured temptations from Satan who constantly sought to corrupt his righteous path. Beyond the religious implications, it is interesting that we are encouraged during this time to give up something in our lives that we would otherwise find difficult to live without. Instead of the ominous temptation of something like Satan, we find ourselves reflexively challenged. Indeed during this time of fasting should we choose to partake, our only temptation comes from within. In this same vein of thinking it is easy to see the merit in such an exercise. Given the self-imposed limitations, Lent is a time that we can really subjectively measure ourselves. Obviously a fast or self-imposed span of restraint can be initiated at any given time during the year. Still, Lent is a universally cogent time of year that, if nothing else, has one hell of a send off before its start. I personally do not know if I will be testing myself this year, but I would encourage everyone to seriously consider the opportunity to grow and discover the depths of your control. To set a goal and to overcome it with only yourself as a judge can be an extremely rewarding experience. Best of all, you never know exactly how you will surprise yourself. In a world where you are relatively and increasingly comfortable with yourself, it can be extremely satisfying to discover that you can still learn new things about just how far your willpower can stretch. So here's to Mardi Gras! May we all indulge ourselves and wake tomorrow with wider bellies and the resolve to attempt something nobly daunting.

I am forecasting an influx of more visual media in the coming days. While I enjoy musing on various subjects, the task is proving more and more forced under the constraints of the whole 28 x 28 thing.