Some photos

Two Years in Pictures

Yup... Shabbat

This past August I decided to start (sort of) practicing Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest or Sabbath. I don't watch TV, use computers or phones from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. While based on the Jewish tradition (trust me, Orthodox Jews do much more than I do), my decision to do this is not about God but about me. The more time I spent with people who kept Shabbat and the more I learned about it, the more sense it made. They explain it as a day to forget about everything that's urgent and focus on what's important: friends, family, themselves, spirituality... For me, it's also one day a week where I give up the distractions of my electronic addictions. When I'm not sitting around watching TV or chatting online, I do more with my friends and family here in Hawaii: play games, go surf, or just talk. My weekends have become more relaxing and rejuvenating since I now read and nap more. I even find that I'll work harder other days knowing that I have Shabbat to look forward to. So while, at first, it may seem archaic and bizarre, it's been a great way to regain some focus and has been freeing rather than restrictive.

Hopefully this makes my whole "ritual" seem less weird. If not, I'd love to answer any questions... and if that doesn't work, I'll just remain your weird Jew-ish friend. That's cool too. :)