indulge (verb):
- to give free rein to
- to take unrestrained pleasure in
- to yield to the desire of
When I just need to “get away” for a few days, especially when my life feels chaotic, I find myself in New York.
The script is always the same. I arrive in Manhattan, get in a cab and think, “I love New York. I love the energy of the city. DC is so mundane and ‘blah.’
Next is the path of indulgence: dining at expensive restaurants, consuming alcohol at every meal, shopping that goes hand-in-hand with the act of walking, working out in some high intensity or “nouveau” fashion, getting pampered at the salon/spa, dancing, partaking in various forms of art…anything my heart desires. And by day 3, I’m ready to leave.
New York is so sumptuous. So rich. So consuming. Like sex – especially “casual” sex. The first bite always feels like a little slice of heaven. But by day 3, I’m always ready to go home to the “stillness” of DC. Manhattan, like sex, is a distraction – and when I visit, I want to be distracted. But indulging in both the city and casual sex is not fulfilling. In fact, the path to fulfillment is not moving toward the things I’m most attracted to, but embracing those things which are difficult.
January 21, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Maybe for visitors, but for me it’s a stable home. I have my nook, I have my man (one at a time), I have my deli, and I feel like I have roots- finally. I never eat at the expensive restaurants or take cabs, and I rarely drink. Yet I find it wonderful nonetheless.
January 22, 2008 at 1:39 pm
i respect that. i struggle to tune things out, not get distracted and show restraint. it’s my garbage:)