how to find out you lead a sheltered life, part XXVII: during lunchtime today, we went to the usual cheap food haunt and as two of us waited for the 3rd to pay for his food, a man walks by with a black smudge on his forehead:

co: oh! is today ash wednesday?
me: [obviously not listening] no, that wasn't a swastika...
co: what?
me: that smear on his forehead...like a chevrolet logo...
co: no — i didn't know it was ash wednesday?
me: [still not with it] yes, yes it is ash wednesday.
another person walks by with the same dark mark on their forehead.
me: hey! is this some kind of tradition?

so, today was the day i learned about the ash wednesday tradition of using ash to mark a cross on your forehead as a sign of humility. i didn't have quite the same reaction as kambri did, but after my quick awakening, about 10 other people along the walk back had the same cross, meaning i would have started questioning what was the haps.

of course, various scenarios quickly ran across my mind:

1. wow, a lot of people go to church.
2. wow, a lot of people went to church ...this morning, at least.
3. i wonder if this was the first time they went all year.
4. i wonder if they actually went to church.
5. i wonder if there's a place that does this only to make you look like you went to church this morning.
6. where's my marking?

nonetheless, i had never seen this before in toronto, denver, waterloo or thunder bay, so i will give the benefit of the doubt and embrace new york's faith as a positive sign. imagine entire business floors with all the employees wearing this embered crucifix...except you. you didn't get the memo about this and now you're scared everyone you suspected was approaching normal all this time belong to a cult.

ah well. kiss my ash wednesday. godspeed through our mortality. and how fitting for those of us about to age numerically.