White Noise

You may have noticed that I didn't put a subject line at the end of last week's column.
As you may have already guessed, there is a method to my madness.
It has to be madness.  I can think of no other reason.
But consider it.  A white background.
White can mean so many things.
Silence.  Or noise.
The beauty of the abstract.
Cleanliness.
Now consider purple.
What does one think of with the color purple?
I just gave you a hint, if you're of my generation.
That movie with Whoopi Goldberg.
Then there's that rock/funk star who uses it as a lyric for songs like "1999" and "Purple Rain".  Oh yeah, and there's a movie by that same title.
The dinosaur on PBS that everyone hates.
Next week it becomes symbolic of sacrifice in the Christian world.
In the Catholic church, it's just about all the priest wears for the next 40 days beginning on Ash Wednesday.
By the way, it's on Wednesday, March 5th.
It still gives me time.
Time to decide just what it is that I feel I can give up for the next 40 days.
Over the years, I've given up soda, candy, pizza, and other niceties that drove me crazy until Easter Sunday.
Last year it was social media.  That almost drove me bonkers.
Then just a few years ago I learned of Sunday dispensation.
This allows a Catholic to indulge in their Lenten sacrifice weekly.
Now where was THAT when I was growing up??
That 40-day rule was strictly enforced in my house, when I didn't think I could make it for another day, when Mom urged me to stay the course.
Weaknesses be damned.
And if I wavered, my soul would be too.
I was an altar boy from 1980 to 1988 at my local church.  The fear of God was something we all took very seriously.  Nonetheless, we learned to do our 'bad boy' things with the understanding we'd be in the confessional the following week, and could knock out the penance in using our time efficiently.
It was usually a rosary.
I still haven't decided yet just what I'm going to give up.  But I intend to stay the course for the Full 40. Being in the advertising business for most of my life, I've learned that branding is highly effective in successfully marketing a product.
And I think the church knows it too.
I'll let you know what I've come up with.


NEXT WEEK:  The Full 40