Yom Kippur is on Saturday. I kind of forgot about it. It was not something my brain was spending energy on. I was reminded by my brother who called, asking to borrow a book. He’s not usually a reader and didn’t explain why. It took me some time to figure out that he might be very bored all day.
Yom Kippur is also the first time I “broke” anything big. I slept in and went to shul to meet a friend. He lived alone, and suggested going back to his. I had brought my phone with me. We convinced ourselves that we were “allowed” to use our phones (and possibly smoke too). All it took was a short conversation between us involving some mental gymnastics, and our consciences were clear. I went back to yeshiva that winter and began to think less about breaking Shabbos.
That was 12 years ago, and it’s been a long journey. Thinking “hey, you shouldn’t break Shabbos” came in ebbs and flows over the years. I fluctuated back and forth on the religious spectrum, never quite sure where to settle. I haven’t felt bad about treating Saturdays – and Yom Kippur in this case – like an extra weekday for quite a while now. Now, it’s a day for me to choose how to make the most of. Whether I use it for downtime, running errands, or spending time with loved ones, I see it as another day to make the most of.
I’m going to the Taskmaster Live Experience on Saturday. I love the show, so I overpaid for tickets on launch day and have been looking forward to it since. I booked the tickets as fast as possible, picking a random Saturday that looked empty in my calendar without giving it a second thought. Turns out that Yom Kippur falls on this random Saturday too, so I must remember to stop by my parents on Friday to wish them an easy fast and that they may be sealed in the Book of Life.