Ash Wednesday

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday.  Anyone can go to a church and get ashes on the forehead.  You don't have to believe in God or be a baptized person or in the state of grace.  Anyone can get ashes.  Such a deal.  Now if you are going to get ashes tomorrow, don't wear white.  See, the person who gives ashes does it only one time a year.  So they make mistakes, plus sometimes the ashes are too dry and the result of all this is that you get ashes on the forehead and down your front, including your nose.  So don't be the first on line.  Let someone else suffer the early learning curve of the minister.  Next, don't wear bangs.  Then the ash giver either moves your hair around or just puts the ashes on the bangs.  Yucky.  Next, after you get ashes, don't wash it off.  Let it stay on as an advertisement that today is Ash Wednesday for others who don't have a clue, but who might want to get ashes.  Now, I will be giving ashes out in Vero Beach, Florida.  I decided to suffer Lent in warm sunshine and near the Atlantic Ocean.  But I always get some ashes on people's nose and front.  It happens.  Offer it up.