Happy Valentine's Day!
Today was a momentous occasion: I got my braces off! My teeth feel very weird and smooth... But to eat Swedish fish again (without guilt-- I didn't always adhere to the doctor's orders!) will be marvelous... at least, that is, once Lent is over. My family has never eaten sweets or treats during Lent, which I sort of don't think is fair, because other people are like, "I gave up chocolate," but I always have to think of something better because it's a given that I'm not going to eat sweets.
Come to think of it, I guess this is better, because although abstinence can strengthen spiritual discipline, a motion in a positive direction (such as promising oneself to say prayers each night and each morning) might be a better use of the period of Lent. I believe the value of Lenten disciplines has been muddied, with everyone "giving something up," as some kind of second-wind New Year's resolutions. I guess I shouldn't be talking, because I still haven't decided what I'm going to do for Lent, but it still irritates me...
Random thought from my Linguistics class: Are our brains pre-programmed for language? Think about how children who have never learned the so-called "rules of grammar" create constructions like "I goed to the store." Do we learn language or merely develop what's there?