The 100-Day War

Tomorrow — September 23rd — is the first day of the last 100 days of 2023. Some call it Winter Lent. Some call it the Secular Lent Century, or SLC. Some call it, half-jokingly, the One Hundred Day War.

Ancient societies, including both Aztec and Maya, would typically celebrate the passage of time and the dawning of winter by devoting themselves to some healthy or self-improving daily practice for the last 100 days of every year. [citation needed] Today, the practice is making a comeback, with many well-known celebrities, politicians and other assorted attention-whores publicly and proudly signing up.

This year, speaking of attention-whores, I’m throwing my hat into the ring. It’s time to improve myself, if only for a short while.

Traditionally, participants will choose between one and seven challenges to perform each day of the secular lent century. This year, I’m going to push for all seven. For the 2023 Secular Lent Century, I will:

* smoke no weed

* do my back routine every day

* devote myself to 5 minutes of the Lotus Sutra (daimoku)

* devote myself to 5 minutes Vipassana meditation

* post to Instagram every day with the overall goal of publicising tAGMuG

* eat something undeniably healthy every day

* listen to Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas in its entirety, every day

It’s also traditional to make a donation to a charity of your choice for each of the challenges to which you fail to rise.

Feel free to join me.