The Fast and the not so furious?

Lent is upon us and certain traditions hold that one should give something (usually food) up for this period between Ash Wednesday and Easter, which in this age of over-indulgence and hyper-individuality is a very timely practice.  Giving something up because you think it is religiously necessary and you are somehow earning points with God is silly, but a Fast from some beloved pleasure for the sake of going deeper in your faith, spending more time/energy in a more God-pleasing fashion, and for increasing your reliance on God can be a very rewarding experience.  I have not intentionally undergone a fast as it were, but the weather of late and my family's choices in leisure time activities have something of that affect.  The severe winter weather has kept us inside and we have chosen to read a good book or talk rather than watch videos for the last several weeks.  It is amazing how much of your life the television can engulf, how little time you actually spend with your loved ones even whilst watching the same show!  Which is probably the whole point of a ritual fast: we are to learn how much whatever it is is distracting us from God and the most important things in life!  We all complain of having no time, of being far too busy, but what if we unattach ourselves from technology for a time, say a day a week or limit it to a certain amount each day?  What if we could rediscover ourselves, our friends, our family?  What would happen to our relationships, our lives, our minds?  What if we forgo the latest cheesy novel or chick-flick and discover the forgotten, dusty wisdom of bygone days, hidden in some great classic of history?  Life often seems so pointless, so dull, so tedious.  Not so, if we can but remember the great things of life (no, not YouTube or Twitter).  Classic books and music are to the mind and soul what real food is to the body; think what a steady diet of McDonald's would do to your body and know what modern culture has done to your mind!  Even better, find a few friends to share in your literary adventures!  If you need a good book, check the link in the side panel for a few suggestions, many of them are free!