What floats your boat?

Who amongst us does not like a few luxuries? But how you define luxury makes the difference, writes Lakshmi Palecanda

There are some words that feel good to just pronounce. To me, one such word is ‘luxury’. Just say it aloud … with the right intonation, drawing out the ‘x’ sound just so … aah, that feels so good. The decadence, the feeling that you shouldn’t probably be indulging, that it is something that should be forbidden, it is so sinfully good … Who amongst us does not like a few luxuries?

Just think of it … A day you call in sick at work. Beauty is, you’re not sick at all. You have booked a day at an insanely expensive spa where they are going to treat you like a king or queen and pamper you. Just for a day, of course, and you’re fully aware that when you leave the said spa, your coach will turn into a pumpkin and the mirror will reflect who you are. But those moments stolen from harsh reality …
To be busy middle-class working men and women, we have to cultivate a hard outer shell. Both time and money are at premium, and we have to take a lot of things in our stride if we want decent food to eat, a roof over our heads and the ability to educate our children to the best of our ability. Feeling sick, tired or out-of-sorts? We fix a stiff upper lip over our real quivering ones and march off to do our best, because we’ve committed ourselves to our families and our employing organisations. Many of us cannot afford to indulge ourselves in expensive treats also, because it will involve asking our spouses or children to forego something and we feel too guilty to do so. In that case, is luxury lost to us?

The Cambridge Dictionary gives us three meanings for luxury. The first is great comfort as provided by expensive and beautiful things, as in luxury hotels, luxury cruise, etc. This is dependent on our economic situations and is hard to come by for most of us. It means wasting a lot of money for an ephemeral feeling that evaporates as soon as the experience is done. Sure, a meal at an upscale restaurant feels good, but it leaves you wondering if it was worth it, days after it is digested.

The second meaning is something expensive that is pleasant to have but is not necessary. These will include those once-in-a-while purchases or treats with which we pamper ourselves occasionally. That lovely cake in the bakery you drooled over for days? That must-have gadget you’ve been saving up for? That necklace that you can just about afford with that unexpected cheque you got as final pay-off from the insurance company? These add immense value to a life that is otherwise about counting costs and pinching pennies.

The third meaning, however, is what we can make best use of. The definition of luxury can also be something that gives you a lot of pleasure but cannot be done often. The best part of this luxury is that it doesn’t have to be expensive. Don’t we all have something that we normally don’t do, have, or cook on a regular basis? That becomes a luxury that we enjoy only once in a while.

I remember a weekend when I was supposed to travel. At the very last moment, my travel plans fell through. I slept that weekend through and was so mellow the next few days, my family nearly called the cops on me. I had to snarl at them once for them to accept I was still me. I’ve had quite a few vacations in my life, but none that I remember with as much fondness as that weekend.

The idea of what we find luxurious varies from person to person, place to place and time to time. An hour-long oil bath that leaves your hair and your skin soft and supple … a quick breakfast of noodles before hurrying to a morning show and a lunch outside before coming home to a nap followed by hot coffee and snack … Binge-watching TV or Netflix … Or best of all, reading a good crime thriller in bed … What floats your boat?

You can even give your spouse a day off. Let them go off with friends or family and have a good time for a day — this will give you massive brownie points. Invest in some outside help to clean your house, go for an impromptu picnic, go to a free concert, visit a temple, give a friend a surprise call … Anything off your mundane schedule that is not too expensive, but gives you pleasure.

It is important to be good, fulfilling our duties in the best way we can and doing all the right things. But it is also important to feel good and experience joy in innocuous ways. So, go on … give yourself a treat. You deserve it!