Like Candy
traveling this winter
I get canker sores in my mouth. I always have, same with my entire family. The doctors have always said they are caused by lack of sleep, poor nutrition, and stress. They are little physical alarms going off signaling something I already know. I’m not leading a monastic life of balance. The ping of their sharp pain is a reminder of margaritas and late nights and fried food and a lack of a self imposed schedule. After a session of rambling travel this winter, I arrived home with a bag full of sweets and my mouth a bit inflamed.
Over the past two months, I’ve only been in my apartment in New York for a total of fifteen days. I hit the road. This is something I’ve always wanted for myself, prolonged world travel. It was a feast for the eyes and a testament to my ability to crawl out of bed everyday and search for things that sparked my interest. That’s a bit of a thing in itself, finding those things that do it for you, that make you interested. Continuing the search everyday is a lesson in endurance and personal taste.
Is too much of a good thing a good thing? Maybe so. Maybe I just need to eat more vegetables next time. Maybe there is somewhere between the monastery and a bender where I can find myself. Next time I’ll try to remember this. I will remember the great deal of fortune I have for having a career that allows me to play and explore in just the way I had always dreamt of.
You know what happened to the boy, who suddenly got everything he ever wanted?
He lived happily ever after.
Indulgence, a tinge of guilt, getting what you want. Chase and I always say this quote from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory to each other. Maybe it is not that serious. Suck it up, enjoy it, take an ibuprofen.
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Perfectly poignant prose in this piece, Lanier! Love the treats you’ve discovered!
Delicious pictures and writing