Home and Deranged

This year for Lent, I'm giving up

Lent, for lots of girls, is just a religiously motivated excuse to crash dietbefore spring break.
Chocolate, any one?

Around this time each year I struggle to come up with something to shun for Lent.

Giving up sweets, soda, or carbsseems less an attempt to empathize with Christ’s suffering than a conveniently timed diet — Easter season is also bikini season — made less annoying and self-centered when shrouded in religious motivation. Being a natural skeptic, I think many of my acquaintances’ Lenten sacrifices have more to do with the resurrection of their pre-winter silhouette than of their Lord and Savior.

I asked around this year hoping for some guidance and heard the usual vices (mostly edible). But technology has also spiked as a potential exile, with many friends vowing to lay off the texting, deactivate Facebook or quit logging onto Gchat at the office.

Some people are adopting their own interpretations of celibacy. One girlfriend is giving up sex and cursing (not in conjunction with one another, but as independent entities — I clarified) and the guys’ go-to sacrifice seems to be pornography, although I know one who has pledged to stop masturbating in the common area he shares with his two roommates (how gallant).

So the question is, do I give up a vice (pornography, cursing) or do I give up something I love (Facebook)? I pondered and decided at least on the vague category of “Things I love” — maybe missing something would keep me focused on the spirit of the whole exercise. I made the list — in hardcopy in purple ink — and realized upon review that “Things I Love” could have easily been titled, “Vices.” For me, the two appear to be in total overlap.

So I’ve abandoned giving something up entirely. It’s not a cop out; I’ve come up with an alternative: Instead of cutting something out of our lives, maybe we should add something. This year, we could focus on being better, instead of just looking better.

I know Lent has already started, but here are some ideas (because what’s the ultimate Christian message, if not, “it’s never too late!"):

Leave the chain stores and restaurants to fend for themselves. Hit your farmer’s market instead of the supermarket, and support the local little guy. Maybe volunteer your time one day a week to a cause you believe in, or take the money you spend eating lunch out and donate it to a food bank. Pay someone a compliment every day, or dial up a relative you don’t speak to enough. The possibilities are endless.

I’m definitely opting to "add" this year instead of "subtract." If I’d had to give something up, it would have been Whataburger. And that I couldn’t take.

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don't get burned

Talented performers fire up new store and training facility in Houston

Supplies for fire performances to open in Houston in 2025.

Photo by Matt Hellman

Kira Bailey performs with fire fingers.

Have you ever wanted to juggle, swallow, or dance with fire? Houston will soon be home for a place that sells the gear and offers lessons in that art.

Chris and Kira Bailey of the Solar Rain Performance Troupe have been firebending for audiences for more than a decade, as well as running their own online store for tools of the trade, TheOddPropShop. In 2025, they plan to open a combination storefront and workshop for Houstonians to enter and practice the fiery arts.

"Having a physical location allows us to connect with our customers on a more personal level that can’t be replicated online — which is especially important for building props that performers must trust with their lives," the Baileys wrote in an email. "Because of that, we’re building this workshop to become a space to create and test products, and invite our customers in when they want custom-made props. We go through a long trial-and-error with each of our new ideas, often using affordable items from Temu to build our prototypes, and then improve our designs until they’re ready to sell."

The space will be located in Kemah and is scheduled to open in the second half of the year. It will be a combination storefront, living space, and workshop area that will serve aspiring fire performers in a variety of ways. The Baileys will sell their signature fire bubblers, fire jump ropes, and sun wheels that are perfect for both professionals and hobbyists.

The brick-and-mortar OddPropShop will serve as a hub for greater Houston's performance community. Interested first timers will be able to take classes, while established performers can try out new routines and equipment. According to the couple, Houston is home to a significant community of fire artists.

"We wanted to be in a city that not only has a great arts scene and supportive creative community, but is also in a location where we could quickly and easily get the materials we needed to build our props," the Baileys wrote. "Houston was the only place that checked all those boxes. We were also personally drawn to Houston because many of our friends and fellow performers live in the city. In many ways, Houston already felt like home."

In addition to the tools of the fire trade, TheOddPropShop will sell costumes and accessories such as leather and stone jewelry. These small pieces of flair help add to the pagan ambience of the overall fire package.

performing-arts shopping fire performers