Leave my Ash Alone
“You have something on your forehead.” If I’m counting correctly, I heard that statement close to a million times last night, or maybe it was just 20 and seemed like a million. Obviously people are just trying to be polite by pointing out that I have what looks like dirt on my forehead, but if they would have taken a closer look, they might have noticed that the “dirt” was actually ash and was spread in the form of a cross. That’s right, last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday is a day that seems to go unnoticed in Utah. It’s sad really because for those who participate in Ash Wednesday, it is a very reverent and holy day.
It’s really upsetting to hear about incidents where students harassed other students because they had ashes on their forehead. For instance, on Wednesday afternoon in the Marketplace, a student was practically held down by another student while he attempted to wipe the ashes off her forehead. This is in no way OK.
For those of you who don’t know what Ash Wednesday is and attempted to wipe the cross of someone’s head, let me clarify. For Catholics, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of lent, a 40-day fasting and prayer period before Easter. It is common to give up something negative during this period, such as caffeine or swearing, or take up something positive, like working out three times a week.
I won’t get into the logistics of the entire religion right now, but I hope you all see where I’m going with this. Have a little tolerance and respect for other religions, and take the time to understand why your roommate or co-worker has ash on his or her forehead. Chances are they have had to be subject to your religion as well. And never try to wipe that ash off, because that’s grounds for a serious ass kicking.
So please, do some research and have an open mind, and leave my ashes alone.
greg.boyles@aggiemail.usu.edu