Resurrection Shuffle

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaccccccck....
Well, another Lenten season has come and gone with today being Easter Sunday.  Again, I stuck to my intent of giving up social media for what I call the "Full 40".  That is, giving up Facebook and LinkedIn for the full 40 days, rather than relying on the Sunday dispensation day where I could indulge.
I chose that because growing up, either we didn't have dispensation or the knowledge of it was kept from me all this time.  The sacrifice, to me, is much more effective (painful) if you go the full 40.
Pope Francis, you picked a good one.  This one stung.
Big time.
My twelve-year-old nephew Alex said to me one day "didn't you do that last year?"
This kid's memory astounds me.
I did do it last year.  But I took advantage of the Sunday Lenten Loophole.  This time I was determined not to.  As most athletic coaches will tell you, it doesn't do any good unless it hurts.
And this one stung like a bee.  Not the yellow jacket kind, either.  The kind from the fat bumblebee where you have to take a butterknife to scrape out the stinger and hope you weren't allergic to the venom.
Ow.
It's had it's advantages, though.  I've learned to like fish on Fridays.  Not that I had any problem with it to begin with, but my wife has been willing to prepare fish dishes for dinner or allow me to take her and our daughter out to places that feature fish on the menu.
It just can't be a fast-food joint is all.  No problem on my end.
A lot has also happened in that 40 days.  I've had another "Chicken Soup for the Soul" story accepted for publication in May, and am working on a memoir about the time I've spent in radio.
The latter came from the suggestion of co-workers and colleagues of mine since leaving the business, who have told me that I should write about the stories I tell about the business from time to time.  After realizing that few people have heard them, I've decided that's not such a bad idea.  Especially after my fellow 'retirees' have done the same thing and have had success of it.
I've also reconnected with some colleagues who did not know of my departure from radio and couldn't understand why.  After telling them that I've left the business voluntarily and why, they seem to understand.
And to my surprise, I've found that some others also want to leave it, but aren't sure of what the next step is.
The next step for me was to lean on my family.  The rest kind of fell into place. 
George Osmond, better known as "Father Osmond" to fans of his pop band brood from the 1970's, often gave his boys a pep talk before they went onstage.
"Faith, family, career...in that order."
This is where I pause and say "I got nothin'".



NEXT WEEK:  A Fish Story