The Hit List - Blackout Sabbath

My father never missed going to mass on Sunday. He was a devout Catholic and although he didn’t follow the Ten Commandments to the letter, keeping holy the Sabbath Day (Commandment Number Three) was one he did – and insisted we followed it too.

Every Sunday, we got dressed up and took our spots in the pew, usually in the back. Frankly, I never cared for church. It was boring and I found a lot of the people – including my parents – to be hypocritical, something I detested. At four years old, I vowed I would never go to mass again once I was an adult. I made good on that promise.

Once the service was over, I was happy to get home, rip off my dress, kick off those uncomfortable patent leather shoes, and put on my typical uniform of jeans and a t-shirt. The rest of my day was devoted to reading or messing around. On occasion, mom insisted we take a nap, which I didn’t like because I had things I wanted to do and a stack of books to tackle.

We always had a big Sunday dinner. Sometimes there was dessert. Once the dishes were done, we gathered in front of the old black and white television to watch The Wonderful World of Disney or a Western.

Sundays were sacred. It was the one day of the week reserved for rest and prayer. When Monday rolled around, it was time to go back to school and refresh my book stack.

It’s funny how different life became when I grew up. My Sundays are centered around errands and work. I rarely take a weekend off. There are too many emails to answer, things to write, and people to serve. I also “have” to get on social media if I want to keep the biz going strong. I think a lot of entrepreneurs are the same – we’re always “on.” There is no off switch. Work has become my god and the computer screen my altar.

This is not sustainable any longer. I need time to ponder, wonder, and rest.

Starting tomorrow, I am reclaiming my Sundays. I’m calling it “Blackout Sabbath.” I won’t be going to church (still keeping that vow), but I am going to make this day sacred. That means getting offline. No more emails, blog posts, podcasts, or social media. One day a week, I will be screen-free.

What will I do with that time?

Maybe I’ll read a new stack of books. Or cook an elaborate meal. Perhaps I’ll take a nap and discover I like it.

I’m going to test this out and see how it works. Who knows? I may love it enough to make a new vow to keep my Blackout Sabbath holy. That’s a commandment I think I might be able to obey.

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