For a total of 97 episodes, the American medical sitcom Doogie Howser, M.D. was broadcast on ABC over four seasons, airing from September 19, 1989, to March 24, 1993. Despite being a mere 49 days old when the show concluded, I have found enjoyment in the reruns available on modern streaming platforms. It is intriguing to reflect on the similarities between the life, work, education, family, and friends of the young medical doctor, Doogie Howser, and the season of Lent.
Lent is a period during which Christians are called upon to critically examine their lives, their actions towards others, and their support for the less fortunate and vulnerable. Interestingly, the experiences of Doogie, a teenage doctor, mirror these ideals, as he navigates the complexities of practicing medicine while also grappling with the typical challenges of adolescence. Doogie sacrifices many “normal” teenage activities, such as school dances and parties, and endures a breakup when his girlfriend leaves for college, an experience he has already undergone. Notably, he diligently maintains a daily diary on his 1979 desktop computer, documenting his observations and learnings from each episode.
If I may, maybe during Lent we are called to be more like Doogie Howser. Maybe we are called to navigate the challenges of our own lives with a greater love for the people who support us. Maybe we could take the time – like Doogie – to keep a daily journal and reflect on the events of the day, asking ourselves “where did we see the face of Jesus Christ today?” We might be called to give up the normal activities of our everyday life and by giving them up we spend the time with our family’s or with friends we have not seen in awhile. Maybe we spend the extra time in prayer deepening our relationship with God.
Over the past few years, I’ve approached the season of Lent with a different mindset and determination. When people mention Lent, it’s typical to immediately consider what you might give up for the sacred 40 days leading up to Easter. Since childhood, I’ve always sacrificed something I cherished – like chocolate or soda pop. As an adult, I continued to give up things, but with deeper meaning. For instance, last year I relinquished online shopping, not only giving my credit card a break but also aiming to reduce my environmental impact by eliminating one more stop for delivery trucks. While it was a well-thought-out plan, I’m uncertain if my avoidance of Amazon or Target.com truly made a significant difference.
Along with making sacrifices, I’ve always strived to incorporate more positivity into my daily life. I recall one year when I pledged to pray a rosary every day – although that commitment only lasted about a week. On another occasion, I decided to give up coffee and donate the money saved to charity. However, that was the year I discovered that giving up coffee was not a personal sacrifice for me, but rather a considerable challenge for those around me. This year would be different! I was determined to think outside the box, and thus, this website came to life.
I have always wanted to share my thoughts on the things I hold dear in life. My faith, family, friends, cooking (and eating!), traveling, the fine and performing arts, and more. I thought a good way of doing that would be to start a blog, a personal website, where I could share fun, lighthearted news instead of the constrained grim and heartbreaking news we hear each and every day. Another reason that led to the start of this blog was the strong need I had to stop scrolling on social media from my phone. I thought if I could occupy the time I would spend scrolling each day by writing blog posts and reflecting on life events, the scriptures, and what God was calling me to hear in my own personal prayer, I might actually be able to walk away from social media. (Notice I said social media on my phone; I am taking baby steps and only using it on my desktop computer). Thus, we have “The Catholic Both/And Blog.”
As you can read under the “About Me” section of this site, this is NOT the place to find the answers to the deep-rooted and age-old life questions and problems. It is – and never will be – a place to find scholarly academic material for your next research paper. It is, however my hope, that it will be a place where you might find reflections that will lead you deeper into a relationship with God. Maybe a place where you can turn when you had a long and stressful day and just need to spend some time scrolling without the violent and temptations that social media seems to offer all too often. Whatever might come of this site please know that you are always welcome here and I will always be open to hearing from you about how something here might have changed your life or helped your family. And, if nothing else, it will be fun for me to become the modern day Doogie Howser, MD. with a much newer computer.
Happy Lent!
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