Another Lenten season is upon us, and once again it's time to give something up. Last year, as you may remember, I gave up cursing. Or tried to, as the reflexive nature with which I use four-letter (or 13-letter) words put a fairly large obstacle on my path to a frank and productive Lent.

This year I decided to give up something more tangible: bacon. And the sandwiches here at the campus center that I'd been getting daily, which I can get without bacon, but figure I can pass on as well. This should be less hard than the year I gave up red meat, but still something that'll take some work. I like bacon.

Sarah raised the same objection as last year when I thought of giving up soda, saying that I should give up something negative in order to make myself a better person. My argument, one that's backed up by both Catholics and Episcopalians (I know, I may be repeating myself) is that the Lenten "sacrifice" is done to become more in tune with what Jesus sacrified, and in some cases to use the money or time saved for charitable purposes.

So I'm going to stick with bacon, thank you very much. It's not exactly dying for your sins, but in the words of Homer, "I'm not running for Jesus."