Wish me well, everyone. I’m about to take a step into the Great Informational Abyss.

I’m going into the unknown. Turning out the Lamp of Knowledge. Shuffling off this electronic coil.

That’s right: I’m giving up Facebook for Lent.

It’s going to be one of the most painful sacrifices I’ve ever made. No pokes! No random comments about bra colors! No Cory Frye status updates! For six whole weeks!

You think I’m kidding. How am I going to get through the day without even one Cory Frye status update? Just yesterday he posted, “I remember when you people were interesting.”

I really dig Facebook. It’s like one giant newsroom, where I get to eavesdrop on pithy bon mots and snarky asides with every coworker I’ve ever had. It’s like a neverending Mom’s Night Out. A sitcom starring all my favorite people.

We killed our television about a decade ago and go to the movies only if there’s explosions or spaceships involved. That leaves Facebook as my main form of entertainment. And quite seriously, it’s great entertainment. Most of the people in my life are associated in one way or another with the writing world, and their updates and comments are some of the best prose you’ve ever seen in fewer than 30 words.

So why am I doing this? Because I can, and do, get happily sucked into this entertainment quagmire for hours on end, losing time at work, ignoring my children, skipping my workout, etc. Because it’ll be good for me to interact with people more in person or on the phone. Because it’s actually going to be a sacrifice for me, and that’s what Lent ought to be about. And I’m not going to do any of that Sundays-are-an-exception, thing, either. That’s cheating.*

I’m not giving up the computer, mind you. I can’t, considering it’s how I do my job. I’ll continue to send and receive email, although if it’s a message I can get across by phone instead, I’m going to take that route as often as I can. I may need to post occasionally to our Democrat-Herald Facebook page, but I will resist the urge to surf over to my own to check out the latest.

I have said this before – in fact, you can read it here – but it’s worth repeating: I don’t think God punishes people who pass on Lent, or cheat on it, or spend it making a promise to give up vacuuming or something. I think God is more concerned about us trying to do right by His example, to the best of our ability and understanding, all year round.

But I also think it’s a good thing to set aside a time to focus on someone who gave us the ultimate sacrifice, and if we can sharpen that focus by setting aside one or more worldly temptations, so much the better. That’s what I plan to do.

So if I don’t post a happy birthday on your page, or something awful/fantastic happens and I’m not among those to share a quick online prayer/congratulations, it doesn’t mean I’m not thinking about you. It’s just that, for the next 40 days, I won’t know about it.

But believe me, I’ll want to talk to you! Call me, or better yet, come over! And tell me about Cory’s status updates!

* I do plan to make one small personal-post exception, in late March, for Slightly Older Princess’s birthday. That is most definitely cause for celebration.