February 19, 2010
Today, I had a ginormous fish sandwich for lunch…one of those sandwiches that’s basically the equivalent of three normal-sized sandwiches that a normal-sized human would eat. Then, for dinner, I had a McDonald’s fish sandwich and fries. I am officially overloaded on fish! The funny thing is, I’m not even a practicing Catholic anymore! I’m a member of a Presbyterian church, I don’t consider myself Catholic, but this one holdover still sticks with me. I still eat fish on Fridays during Lent, which makes absolutely no sense if I’m not adhering to the other rules and doctrines of the Catholic church. Am I trying to “cover my bases” religion-wise? Am I still Catholic at heart? I think it’s more like a lifelong habit that stays with you no matter how often you’ve tried to shake it. That old Catholic guilt can be a powerful force…not that I think that’s necessarily a bad thing. I think we could stand to have a little more guilt in our world, to restrain us from actions that are detrimental to ourselves and those around us. But this fish thing…I guess it’s no big deal, but it does annoy me. Maybe this will be the year when I finally give up giving up meat on Fridays. We’ll see. Even the thought of it floods me with guilt. See you soon.
