An Epicurean’s Delight – 14/11/08
The warmth of the first sip of the first cup of tea of the day in the dark of the bedroom.
A memory of my sons and their friends performing their music to an enthusiastic audience.
A clean pair of socks with no holes. Fresh crusty white bread rolls. Home made plum and apple jam.
The pale solid strength of an ash dining table in a modest, warm room.
The gentle touch of your partner’s hand.
A click, as a text message arrives from a friend.
Cool air on your face and in your lungs as you walk briskly outside.
To know that you have been listened to.
A blackbird briefly sings. A birthday card from my parents to my child. The satisfaction as another task is completed with the quality that is important to me. A decision to make a phone call and engage with the unknown, possibly to make something happen that could change everything, or not.
Relaxation that spreads as the heat of the bath-water permeates the aching muscles in my back.
Some words on paper which capture the thinking of another person at another time and another situation – which affect me like ripples in a glassy lake.
The time to reflect, to think.
And then there’s lovemaking, but I won’t go there now.
To be an Epicurean, to be devoted to the pursuit of pleasure, doesn’t have to include luxury, gluttony or loads of money. Just to notice how wonderful the simplest things can be, in life and in work, and to be present for them, is to be as lucky as can be.
with thanks to Alain de Botton’s ‘The Consolations of Philosophy’
