Imported Palm Leaves, No More Dry Heaves

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Growing up Catholic, our family was heavily into the religious traditions. Mother ensured fasting by hiding ALL the food in the cabinets and locking the refrigerator with a chain. Being the natural cat burglar that I am, I was able to bypass the lock and retrieve various sinful goodies on this holy day. We weren't allowed to eat or swear and I never really got the hang of that.

The catholic mania didn't stop at home, though. I went to school with about 700 other Filipinos and they were all as competitive as my brothers and sisters were. "I prayed the rosary seven times before I went to school!" or "We're going to the church in Sunnyvale tonight where they use ashes from palm leaves imported from Jerusalem." I rolled my eyes at all of them because I knew it was just a fad. It was no different than seeing whose shoes costed more - this was just a more socially acceptable form of one-upsmanship.

Knowing that no one knew why they did the things they did during the season of Lent, I asked a girl what all of it meant. She recited the dictionary definition, then drew upon her personal experiences to try to fancy it up. But I knew she was just a tool - a lemming. She didn't know. The 699 other people didn't know. I still don't know. But I never claimed to be better than anyone else because I was giving up something interesting for Lent.

What's a gay boy to do during this season of reflection? I could give up drinking and the possibility of throwing up in a public place. Someone even suggested that I give up porn. HA! Never. I don't go to church and I'm still reeling from the scandalous affairs of the priests and the questionable dealings in the Vatican. My only solace lies in knowing that I've got a good heart and I know I'm not using religion to make other people feel like shit the way other people did when I was younger. So this season I will draw upon the basics. Jesus went into the desert and was tempted by Satan. I'm living in Chicago, which is almost as dry as a desert and I am tempted by satin. Nah, too corny. I'll think of something!