Pearl Jam for Lent

[davidronn]

So:

While I'm not overly religious, I do still have a spiritual side. I was brought up Catholic and the one thing that I still try and do every year to "prove" my Catholicism is to sacrifice something for Lent. Usually it's something like TV or candy. A few years ago I gave up hitting the snooze button. I once attempted no swearing but that fell through really quickly.

Anyway...

This year I've made it my decision to give up listening to Pearl Jam. Lent is supposed to be a sacrifice. You're supposed to abstain from something you love and feel you couldn't live without. With the exception of my dog and my nephew, there's nothing I love more than Pearl Jam so I feel it's fitting to give them up.

Like most of you, I'm sure, I listen to Pearl Jam every day. Sometimes it's only one song, other times it's full studio albums or bootlegs. I just need to hear the boys at least once a day.

I feel like sacrificing PJ is going to be just that: an actual sacrifice. It's going to be very difficult to achieve but it's a challenge I feel I'm up for.

Now the parameters are as follows: It's a sacrifice if I'm the one who is avoiding it, meaning I can't listen to them on my iPod, I can't listen to them on the computer, I can't wake up to them as I've been doing the past 3 months and if they come on the radio while I'm driving, I must change the station. However: if I happen to be at a pub or visiting a friend or in a store where they're listening to Pearl Jam, there's not much I can do about that. I'm not going to ask them to change the station for my religious beliefs - it's out of my control. If, however, I can avoid listening to them, I will.

I feel this will be good for 2 reasons:

1) When the 40 days are over, when I put "Ten" in for the first time, it will be almost like being re-born. I'll be hearing them for the first time in over a month (I don't know the last time I went a month without PJ.) It will be like an eargasm.

2) This is an opportunity to reacquaint myself with music that I know I love, yet forget because of the amount of time spent listening to Eddie et al.

I'm both excited and terrified. It could be a test of my will-power and at the end, I'll actually feel like I've achieved something...

Anyway, it's just listening to them. I'll still be here and still be following any tour updates and things of that nature. I can't completely cut them out!

...I just know that if they announce a sudden Calgary stop in the next 40 days I'm going to be very, very depressed.

[drlovemonkey]

I was just wondering today what I was going to give up for Lent. I think I will join you on this Pearl Jam-free journey. I generally listen to a bootleg at least every other day so this will definitely be tough for me as well.

On a side note, I tried to give up coffee for Lent 2 years. The very 1st morning I backed my car into the family minivan on my way to work - tore off the side mirror and left a really nice scratch on both vehicles. Suffice to say, I was back on my morning caffeine kick the next day.

[Leyna Minai]

That sounds like it would be difficult..Lent is 40 days right?
I don't think I can handle that! I am definitely a daily listener as well..
Good luck though!!

[drinkbigredinstead]

Good luck with that. I'm giving up beer and soda and trust me both are a big for me...in fact I won't be the most pleasant person around for the next week or so without my 'breakfast' of a 20oz Coke.

[davidronn]

I was just wondering today what I was going to give up for Lent. I think I will join you on this Pearl Jam-free journey.

It'll be like a support group!

That sounds like it would be difficult..Lent is 40 days right?

Yup.

[DOWNer]

Awesome! I successfully gave up PJ for Lent in 1998. Be careful in the car though! I was driving on the interstate, cigarette in hand, trying to merge into traffic when "Black" came on the radio. I rushed to change the channel, knocked my cig into my lap and almost hit a semi while trying to fish it out of my crotch. Luckily, I had a friend with me and she was able to get the cigarette out from underneath me and we didn't wreck!

[marcos]

I completely agree that lent is supposed to be a sacrifice, I hate when people give up stuff that is actually bad for them anyway.

I couldn't give up Pearl Jam as it is the only thing that gets me through the tough days of February & March, always the worst two months for me from a psychological stand point, historically. It seems I'm extra disturbed these months as opposed to the rest of the year when I'm just slightly disturbed.

[morgannspicer]

Good luck because I can't go a day without Pearl Jam. I'll be a shoulder to cry on. I'm here for my peeps.

[drinkbigredinstead]

I completely agree that lent is supposed to be a sacrifice, I hate when people give up stuff that is actually bad for them anyway.

I couldn't give up Pearl Jam as it is the only thing that gets me through the tough days of February & March, always the worst two months for me from a psychological stand point, historically. It seems I'm extra disturbed these months as opposed to the rest of the year when I'm just slightly disturbed.

Just because it doesn't seem like a sacrifice to you doesn't mean it isn't. Try giving up being self righteous.

[marcos]

I completely agree that lent is supposed to be a sacrifice, I hate when people give up stuff that is actually bad for them anyway.

I couldn't give up Pearl Jam as it is the only thing that gets me through the tough days of February & March, always the worst two months for me from a psychological stand point, historically. It seems I'm extra disturbed these months as opposed to the rest of the year when I'm just slightly disturbed.

Just because it doesn't seem like a sacrifice to you doesn't mean it isn't. Try giving up being self righteous.

I really believe that whatever works for you is fine as at the end of the day; that's all that matters with any faith, it's an individual thing, and I really don't believe in imposing one's beliefs upon another even in the church.

So maybe I was joking, in a Larry David kind of way, when I said I hate when people give up something that's bad for them anyway, I should have added the smiley face I suppose It's really none of my business.

[Constant Recoil...]

Hey I saw this thread a while ago and thought i'd check in to see how it was going

[davidronn]

Hey I saw this thread a while ago and thought i'd check in to see how it was going

Ha! Funny you should ask, I was actually thinking about giving an update...

It's been a tough go, I'll say that. It goes against everything I believe in to switch the station when Pearl Jam comes on the radio. The other day, Spin the Black Circle came on and oh how I wanted to stay.

However, I have yet to break. I'm still going strong and will be able to make it until Easter. (I leave for a week in Mexico on Friday, so that should help a little bit) It's still going to be tough, but I'll get there! Thanks for checking in on me!

[LloydXmas]

Check out this killer foo fighters song


http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6-6xV0uAVpk

[big mick]

Check out this killer foo fighters song


http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6-6xV0uAVpk

[morgannspicer]

Hey I saw this thread a while ago and thought i'd check in to see how it was going

Ha! Funny you should ask, I was actually thinking about giving an update...

It's been a tough go, I'll say that. It goes against everything I believe in to switch the station when Pearl Jam comes on the radio. The other day, Spin the Black Circle came on and oh how I wanted to stay.

However, I have yet to break. I'm still going strong and will be able to make it until Easter. (I leave for a week in Mexico on Friday, so that should help a little bit) It's still going to be tough, but I'll get there! Thanks for checking in on me!

You're a lot braver than I could ever be. I haven't stopped listening to Pearl Jam since Alpine Valley back in September...and I'm talking DAILY, all day long at work. So good for you, man. That's awesome.