What's Your Pleasure?

Mine happens to be a fully restored, very cha-cha, antique red velvet sofa. I refer to it simply as “The Velvet.”

I am one of the least materialistic people I know. “Things” hold no charm or great value to me. I live in a modest little home furnished with hand-me-downs, yard sale bargains, and do-it-yourself pressboard furniture. Each piece is clean, in good condition, and serves whatever it’s intended purpose is, but none of my furniture was purchased “new”at a furniture store, none of it is heirloom quality, and none of it is what you’d call “chic.” Don’t get me wrong, I take care of my things and appreciate what I have, but none of it screams “HOUSE BEAUTIFUL.” So, why the very Zsa Zsa velvet sofa amid the rest of the bargain basement specials?

Basically, the answer is this: The Velvet is a sensual delight. That’s right… I said it’s a sensual delight. When you come home from work at the end of a work day, be it a tough day or not, what do you want to do? Collapse? Maybe have a drink? A hot shower? Five minutes to yourself? No matter what your “unwind of choice” is, it’s a sensual experience. And quite frankly, we all deserve to indulge in sensual experiences every single day.

Most people, I find, limit their sensual experiences in life to just a few garden variety things. Sex and food seem to be the two biggest ones, and most people I know don’t have sex every day. And, unfortunately, many of us, due to schedules being out of control, don’t experience food as a sensual experience every day, either. Food and sex are great sensual experiences, but, are you aware of the sensuality of other aspects of life? Things like textures, scents, colors, shapes, and sounds; how do these things affect your thoughts, moods and sense of sensuality?

When you come home and you’re stressed out, whatever it is that you do to shake off that stress should be a true pleasure and it should recharge your batteries. It should put you in touch with what life is really all about, as opposed to meetings and deadlines and adhering to political correctness all day. When you walk through the door of your home, whether it’s a tiny apartment or a spacious five bedroom house on a two acre lot or anything in between, you should be able to indulge in something that reminds you that you’re human. Human beings have five senses, and those senses should be fed, and fed well, every single day.

Take the time to reacquaint yourself with how simple things like the feel of the sun on your skin affect you. How sensitive your taste buds are to your favorite flavor. How does the smell of a wood fire on a crisp day make you feel? Notice the colors of things, the feel of fabrics against your skin, the scent of your soap or the way the water runs over your body when you stand under a hot shower. Feel things. Notice things. Be aware of all of your sensory experiences in everyday life. It’s what we’re here for.

Think about what you really love. What brings you pleasure? Among my many pleasures… I happen to love soft things like blankets and pillows. I love rich fabrics and jewel tone colors. When I saw The Velvet, I knew I had to have it. It is the one item in my home that was a financial splurge, and I don’t regret it. The fact that it’s an “antique” … bah! Who cares? It’s there to feed my sensory pleasure and I use it every day. I lie on it to take naps on the weekend. I entertain guests on it. Ultimately, it’s an inanimate object and I don’t obsess over “not ruining” it; instead, I celebrate it. You really should never save anything “special” for a special occasion, because life is a special occasion. I can’t bear to think of The Velvet in some stuffy sitting room never being sat on, enjoyed, appreciated, and loved. It’s beautiful, curvy, soft and warm… it’s made to be treated like a lady: with respect, admiration, and appreciation for it’s ability to feed your need for sensuality.  

So... What's your pleasure?