I will never be so atheist that I won’t accept a day off from work. Vishnu’s birthday? Sign me up. St. Crispin’s day? I’m there.
Getting Good Friday off is weird. It must be a New England thing, because I don’t remember getting this holiday in New York or D.C. And of course not in Utah. I didn’t even know what Ash Wednesday was until college. But as long as the holiday involves me sleeping until noon, I’m a believer.
I thought today would be a good time to go to Costco and pick up a book I wanted from the library (The Lost City by Henry Shukman). I was borrowing Maude’s car and due to the idiosyncrisy of her fuel gauge (okay, idiocy of the driver) I nearly ran out of gas. The gas dashboard light went on while I was on the freeway and I pulled off at an unfamiliar exit that claimed it had a gas station. Five minutes later, still no gas station in sight. I start to sweat a little bit. I’m passing industrial park after industrial park, farms, quiet neighborhoods, anything but retail spaces. I seriously drove for 15 minutes without seeing a gas station. I’m imagining myself walking on the side of the street with a gas can in hand. Also, the wind has been gusting all week, so it’s freezing out too. I finally head to the airport because I figure there has to be a gas station there. I think the rental car lots have squeezed all the gas stations out of their area because everyone knows that’s where they make their real money. “Oh, you didn’t return the car with a full tank? That’ll be just an eighty-dollar additional charge.”
Anyway, I finally found a gas station (past all the car lots) and 12.2 gallons and $40 later I was back on the road.
When I finally got to the library, the damn place was closed. Stupid Good Friday.
I got Maundy Thursday (wtf), Good Friday and Easter Monday off. FSM bless them godless europeans.
Also, that picture on the post has to be from Utah, yes? That’s not where you live, though, which I have cleverly deduced from the Great Pumpkin and the fact that you said New England in your post. Plus, Utah wouldn’t shut for a traditional xtian holiday, just something like 24th of July, aka This Is The Place Day.
By: wry catcher on March 22, 2008
at 8:26 am
Maundy Thursday? And Easter Monday? That’s a five day weekend! Madness! Clearly, I was born on the wrong continent. I think someone screwed up in the pre-existence and forgot to send me to Sweden.
You have to admit, English has some cool names for these days. In Spanish, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday are all the same: Jueves Santo, Viernes Santo, Sabado Santo. Bo-ring. I mean, can’t we even get a Sabado Gigante or something?
Yes, the above picture I stole from National Geographic on the web. From the lovely yellow weeds and Flying J location I agree it has to be Utah or Utah-adjacent. Since we got our first digital camera for our recent trip, I’ve been trying to take most of the photos for my blog, but I didn’t have the presence of mind to bring it along for my misguided trip.
I do really want to go back and vandalize (I mean “correct”) that damn gas sign that sent me on my wild goose chase. It was like the first act of a horror movie only without the teenagers.
By: NFlanders on March 22, 2008
at 11:47 pm
To many Evangelicals, if not all, Good Friday is the most important day of the year. I always regretted that Mormons do not properly celebrate Easter.
Thank heavens for Johann Sebastian Bach.
After all, Good Friday is the day that God died and if there is a redeeming feature in Christianity, it has got to be that God became a mortal and suffered like every human being.
It doesn’t undo the suffering but gives it meaning by acknowledging and sanctifying it.
By: Hellmut on March 23, 2008
at 12:04 am
[...] to Ned Flanders for inspiring this [...]
By: God Is Dead: Happy Easter! | Main Street Plaza on March 23, 2008
at 12:07 am
Thanks for your thoughts, Hellmut. (And, it’s nice to see you around again.)
I’m not sure how my superficial post inspired you, but never mind! Sometimes I think I’m losing a bit too much with my newfound atheism. Not that I’m missing any supernatural comfort, but rather that I’m now a bit lazy.
Just because I don’t believe, doesn’t mean that I can just stop thinking about religion and discount anything religious. I agree that the overall idea of Good Friday is a powerful one. And just because we don’t take certain things literally anymore doesn’t mean there isn’t power in them.
By: NFlanders on March 25, 2008
at 12:32 am