Monday, May 11, 2009

Small Pleasures

Who takes greater pleasure?

The person who wolfs down fast food or the person who takes the time to prepare a meal, sets the table properly, lights some candles, and then eats the food slowly and with careful attention to the flavors?

The person who gulps some coffee while listening to a TV or radio and reading the newspaper or the one who methodically grinds the coffee beans, brews a pot, and sips a cup while reading the paper or making notes on the upcoming work day?

Those are terribly slanted choices, of course, and yet they aren't that far from the ones we often make.

And we often choose the one we readily concede is inferior.

We do so in the name of speed, convenience, and necessity although I doubt if the last item plays that big of a role. In many cases, we have a choice and we have chosen to believe that a small and beneficial pleasure should be sacrificed for some good that is out there in the distance.

The problem is it's always out there, just beyond our grasp, and we lose so much in our quest to seize it..

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