I’ve been trying to write another entry on The Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man because I wanted to say something more about the concept of sin, at least the concept as seen through Catholicism. Some of my best friends have been Catholic, but I’ve never really sat down with any of them and talked specifically about their religion, though we having what I would call “religious” discussions.
Anyway, I was somewhat surprised at Joyce’s handling of sin and guilt in his novel. I really didn’t understand the Catholic view on what constituted sin, particularly “mortal sin.” So, I’ve spent some time online reading about the concept of sin and confession. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the time to put it all together into rational blog entries, and I am about to leave for a trip to Colorado to see Tyson and his family. So, there’s going to be another gap before I can get back to that discussion.
I remember telling myself in the years leading up to retirement that I would finally have the time to do all the things I wanted to do. It was kidding myself; there’s never enough time to do all the things you want to do, at least if you want to do as much as I want to do. And I guess that’s alright. I’d rather be frustrated than bored. I’m enjoying life more than I have for many years, and I refuse to sacrifice that enjoyment to “shoulds.”
I should finish writing up on Joyce because I made that commitment to myself when I started blogging, and that commitment is what has kept me blogging for ten years. But living life to the fullest still has precedence, and I’m not about to sacrifice a chance to see my three grandkids to satisfy my guilt. There will be plenty of rainy days coming up when I get back, and those are the ideal time to ponder heavy ideas.
Until then, you’ll just have to suffer through some of the fluff that makes my life more enjoyable.