Chapter 20 One Night Stands We tend to think that covering ourselves up with fancy clothes or expensive jewelry will make us feel more attractive and alive,
And perhaps for a while it will,
Until the fashions change as they always do and we're left with a closet full of expensive clothes that we just couldn't possibly wear anymore.
As our purchases become outdated,
However,
We just might be able to notice our inner sense of self-worth fluctuate as well if we're watching carefully.
We might discover that what we once longed for and were so proud of is now no longer enough,
And as a result,
We need something new to make us feel good.
Oh,
How these trends come and go.
I can't believe I dress like that,
We groan as we look at old photos taken of us.
Well we should believe it.
We should also believe that in twenty years,
The pictures taken of us today will probably look just as embarrassing.
Or perhaps we'll look back and long for how things were,
Forgetting how even at that time we may have been unconsciously trying to fit in with those around us,
In our own unique way of course.
But wait,
We might be thinking,
Buying new things makes my life exciting,
Without them my world would quickly become bland and boring.
In order to discover true happiness and fulfillment,
However,
We need to look at our lives in a attractions,
Including food,
Sex,
Shopping,
And sports,
Are only temporary.
Real fulfillment,
Real joy,
Can never be experienced while we are constantly engaged in the pursuit of pleasure and fun,
Of wealth and fame.
And yet who among us doesn't want to be wealthy,
Famous,
Or powerful?
Who,
On some level,
Doesn't envy those men and women who seemingly have it all?
So we continue to work and play hard,
Filling our days with attempts to satisfy our need for love and fulfillment.
We're constantly looking for more,
More wealth,
More toys,
More fun.
We want our one-night stands and can never seem to get enough.
And these one-night stands are not just about sex,
They can take many forms,
Some decidedly healthier than others.
Charging from bar to bar and drink to drink is a common one-night stand.
Another is a big ski day with some friends,
Or staying up late watching too many episodes of that new TV series our co-worker told us about.
But skiing or TV,
How can they be bad for us?
Sure,
Watching too much TV probably isn't the best thing to do,
But skiing is most definitely a healthy activity.
How could it possibly be considered a terrible one-night stand?
To clarify,
Anything that is done solely to feel good can be considered a one-night stand because the satisfaction is only temporary.
Whenever we look for pleasure or base our self-esteem in activities outside of us,
We will never be fulfilled or at peace.
When we place our emphasis on our acquisitions or our achievements,
We can easily lose touch with our true self,
Our true feelings,
And the beauty that is found in every moment.
But who cares,
We might say,
I'm young or young at heart and having so much fun.
What would there be to live for without exciting outlets like shopping,
Movies,
And food?
I get bored so easily and need my pleasures.
If I was in a room all alone,
I'd go crazy.
Exactly.
As long as we were looking for something to do or something to achieve or something to feel good about,
We would become bored in a room all alone,
Or even a room full of fun things and people.
We invariably tire of things when they fail to excite us and soon require stimulation from another source.
We can see this in our own lives as we quickly become bored with our new clothes and gadgets and need to have the latest and greatest thing on the market.
Always consuming and always wanting more,
We are constantly looking for something that might satisfy the need within us for satisfaction and love.
As we lose sight of ourselves in our designer sunglasses and our television screens,
However,
We fail to see how we are actually avoiding ourselves and destroying our home,
The earth,
With our unsustainable manufacturing processes and our insatiable desire to consume.
Our downfall as humans,
Be we from a wealthy or an aspiring land,
Is that we too often look for a sense of self and security from something which can never provide it.
Constantly consuming,
Constantly needing more,
We help convince each other that more is better and that less is never enough.
Our world is saturated with tempting one-night stands for pleasure-seeking humans of all ages and nationalities.
This isn't just a rich Westerner's disease.
It is especially prevalent in successful wealthy nations,
But is a plague just the same in poorer countries,
Hidden perhaps behind a tear that is the child of real hunger.
