In Praise of Simple Pleasures
As a Libra rising, I am a disciple of Venus.
Venus rules beauty, art, love, and harmony. She rules the realm of simple pleasures, like spending a quiet afternoon with your lover, undisturbed.
As her disciple, I am disciplined in the art of creating beauty, seeking healthy pleasures, and dedicating time to peaceful activities, like sketching, reading, or walking in the woods.
I am inspired by Thoreau, who wrote:
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach me. And so I went to the woods, and I learned that the way to live is to live simply.”
In my early life, I had plenty of time for these activities. I became an expert at practicing the self-care of solitude and silence.
In my 28th year, I purchased my first computer. In my 32nd year, my first flip-top mobile phone.
That was when life changed.
I am not a Luddite. I appreciate the convenience of these modern tools.
But I miss my solitude. I miss the days of being unavailable by phone or message. I miss lounging on the bed until noon, surrounded by the Sunday newspaper.
I miss the anonymity of being free from the expectation to respond to the messaging apps (Slack, Breakroom, Crew, email, text) that are an inevitable part of being in community these days.
I love my communities. I love my women’s arts groups, my co-workers at the Honey shop, my fellow yoga and meditation practitioners. My friends. My family.
But I don’t want to be available every day for chats or quick questions, or announcements or requests for help.
I need to shut the door and place a “Do Not Disturb” sign on my door for entire days — sometimes weeks — at a time.
Sometime over the past thirty years, that privilege — or is it a right? — has transformed into an expectation that humans should be available all the time.
Will we ever return to a time when the immediacy of the moment is more important than the sharing of it on social media?
I am taking a temporary retreat to return to the life of the present moment, dedicating time to meditation, and art, and reading. It doesn’t need to last for very long. It’s about the quality of the time, not the duration of it.
Time in the present moment feels spacious.
Time spent hurrying to share and get feedback feels tight, nervous.
Squandered.
When I prioritize solitude and silence — and put up my metaphorical Do Not Disturb sign — I return to civilization refreshed and renewed.
Placing boundaries around our pleasure activities is part of self-care. We are human beings. Sometimes we need to just do nothing and be.
Thanks for reading! I’m a mental health advocate and artist who shares creative practices for emotional wellbeing and personal growth.
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