Several months ago, when the stresses of motherhood seemed to be getting to her, I suggested that Mrs. Eddie fly out to see one of our mutual friends for a few days while I stayed with the kids. She said no, and when asked for a reason, told me that she was afraid that if she went, she wouldn't want to come back.
Which, I think, ties in to a lot of people's (mine included, at times) thinking about pleasure. If you allow yourself to taste too much of it, you'll get addicted, and you won't be able to face the less pleasant parts of life or shoulder your responsibilities. And since one of the most pleasurable experiences you can have is sex, guess what goes by the wayside when you're afraid of getting hooked on pleasure.
The complicating factor, of course, is that it is possible to get hooked on certain forms of pleasure and become disabled by an addiction. Actually, there are convincing tales of people being addicted to just about every sort of pleasure, including sex, and doing stupid things as a result. So it's pretty natural to conclude that the way to avoid addiction and remain able to shoulder your responsibilities is to keep pleasure to a minimum.
That doesn't mean it's a correct conclusion, just one that is pretty easy to reach and believe in for lots of people. And it strikes me that a lot of people who seem to enjoy sex and then spend most of their time avoiding it might be operating from this mindset.
a fine and enviable madness, this delusion that all questions have answers, and nothing is beyond the reach of a strong left arm.
