Today is Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people. Every year on this day of atonement, I find myself mostly atoning for not fasting.
I'm not a religious person, so why the quandary? Tradition. And unity.
As I have alluded to in many a post, I am a history fanatic. It's a nigh unhealthy obsession. And with my particular strain of historical fanaticism comes a deep and bulging appreciation for, and need to be a part of, the strings that hold a people and their origin together.
So I try. Sort of. I learn the stories, I dissect their legitimacy and find ways to base them in a reality ruled by physics. I recognize and have great respect for the meaning of the holidays. But I don't fast.
Our ancestors sacrificed and suffered to make the world a better place for us, and I am doing my part to make the world a better place for my potential progeny. That, to me, is as equal a representation as any of my atonement.
Lastly, and probably most relevant, I get really messed up when I don't eat. It necessitates being bedridden for the day (due to drugs and fatigue, etc.), which I cannot at present accommodate. So, this Jewess will atone for her sins (one of which, involving primer design, was just discovered this morning -- how delightful) by fixing the problems she has caused, and by eating enough to support the calories necessary to do so.
Happy Yom Kippur! Tzom Kal! and, g'mar hatimah tovah!
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