My First Lent (Or: What I learned While Not Drinking)

So this year was the first time I really observed Lent. I had felt for a few months that my drinking habits (alcohol) were getting a little out of control. Not out of control like getting smashed, causing a ruckus and blacking out out of control. Not out of control like missing work or showing up too hung over to function out of control. Rather it was an outside my comfort zone as a family man sort of out of control. On top of that my wife was beginning to question why I felt it was OK to spend $15.00/week on beer but I thought going to a movie once a month was too expensive.

There were also physical concerns. I had a tendency to lose track of time at night and end up going to bed late. I was waking up parched in the mornings, rushing to the sink for water as soon as my feet hit the floor.

So what's an emerging Christian to do? Well in my case Lent came along at exactly the right time. Here was a chance to observe an important aspect of my faith as well as resolve my personal issues. Yay! Christianity provides the answer again!

I'd never observed Lent before so I did what a always do when I'm gearing up to try something new, I researched it online ad found out I didn't know what I thought I knew. I knew Lent ran for forty days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday and a quick calculation indicated that Lent would be over before the Oakland A's Opening Day game which validated my decision to give up hooch for Lent. A quick look at the calendar indicated that Easter was on April 12th, forty-five days after Ash Wednesday.

"Hey honey, Easter is forty-five days after Ash Wednesday. What gives?"

"No, it's forty days."

"I'm looking it up."

I had a brief moment of eleation when I read that, according to Wikipedia (the most reliable source of information in the Universe having replaced the now obsolete Encyclopedia Galactica) Lent runs 45 calendar days because the Lenten commitment is not observed on Sundays. Hooray! I can get my drink on once/week.

"Honey, you don't have be all Lenty on Sundays!"

"What? I've never heard of that. That's not how I do it."

"Oh."

Of course she was right. It wasn't going to help me to find loopholes in what was supposed to be a time of sacrifice and introspection. This would mean no beers at the game. Sadness. But never mind that, I was committed.

The details of the next forty days or so aren't terribly interesting. There were times when I really wanted a beer. Or a whiskey. I'm writing this before Opening Day but I think the lessons I've learned will be just as true on Friday as they have been through out this process. What's important is what I've learned about my drinking habits. The funny thing is that not a lot changed.

I've learned that I really like the taste of alcoholic beverages but I only sort of like the feeling of being under the influence. I've found that I enjoy all the same activities sober as I did when I was drinking. This includes obvious times like relaxing at home watching TV or playing video games as well as times more closely associated with drinking like rugby socials with large groups of strangers or bar-b-queing with friends. In these situations where I would customarily have a beer I found that I still had fun, but I missed the taste of that cold brew. It's a wierd idea to think that I'm addicted to the flavors of alcohol more than to the inebriation. I wish there was a non-alcoholic whiskey I could sip on and get those same rich malty smokey flavors without the stigma of drinking straight brown liquors.

I've also remembered when I like to drink. I'd gotten to the point recently where I thought I needed a beer after work to take the edge off the day and relax. It's not true. Sitting on the couch and watching the MLB network is just as relaxing with a Clausthauler as it is with a Pilsner Urquel. Having a drink is more fun and more rewarding when there are other people around. I'll confess, I did cheat. I cheated on a promise to God. I rationalized it as an experiment, as part of the learning process not only about Lent and drinking but also an experiment in terms of what these rites mean to me. What happened is I went on a grown man play date with an old and dear friend and I took a day off Lent. I did it to test the theory, "Is this where I like to drink?" The answer is yes. I don't think I'll do as much drinking at home once Easter rolls around, the ROI simply isn't there. But I like drinking with friends. That's where you get the bang for your buck.

The final thing I learned is that the physical and financial things I was worried about aren't linked to my drinking habits. I still wake up with a powerful thirst every morning. I still zone out in the duderoom and lose track of time. I still ignore housework for days at a time. I haven't noticed any change in my bank account.

The bottom line is that I'm not in as bad a situation as I'd feared. I'm basically the same guy now as I am when I'm drinking. The other take away is that Christanity has given me another gift. Having an established period for reflection and sacrifice is a huge benefit. Without my faith I don't think I would have had the motivation to take on this kind task. I would have made excuses and rationalizations for putting it off even though it was something I had wanted to try for some time before my religious awakening. Even with my one slip God helped me find the strength to carry this out. Thanks Jesus.