Parker's Pleasure Principle

Sunday morning. A languid haze. Coffee in hand, silk robe slipping off one shoulder, and me, deep in thought… about hedonism. Because honestly, if we’re not chasing pleasure, what are we doing?

Oscar Wilde once wrote:

“Simple pleasures are the last refuge of the complex.”

And I thought… damn straight, babe.

Now, according to The Cambridge Dictionary, hedonism is:

(n) living and behaving in ways that mean you get as much pleasure out of life as possible, according to the belief that the most important thing in life is to enjoy yourself.

Another definition includes:

The ethical doctrine that only what is pleasant is good (I could’ve told you that without the Greek degree).

The psychology of chasing pleasure while avoiding pain (story of my dating life).

But let’s be real. Number 2 belongs in a lecture hall, and number 3 in therapy. I’m focusing on Number 1: pleasure of the senses: Touch. Taste. Smell. Sight. Sound. Or, as I like to call it, the Parker's Portal to Pleasure.

And darling, it can come wrapped in the messy, the mundane, the oh-so-deliciously imperfect.

Think:

• A long, aimless drive with rain smudging the windshield.

• Sitting in the car by the beach, devouring the Sunday paper like it’s dessert.

• Cuddling a teddy-bear-of-a-man who smells faintly of sandalwood and laundry.

• A feather-light kiss grazing the nape of your neck that says I could, but I won’t… yet.

• Fingers sketching abstract art across bare skin.

• That under-the-sheets game of footsie where love feels like hide-and-seek.

• Walking into a room and being tackled by the ghost of his cologne.

• His voice floating down the passage, turning your spine into a tuning fork.

• A hand on your thigh that promises more than Netflix ever could.

• Eating a peach, juice dripping down your wrist, sticky and sinful.

• Crunching twigs in a quiet forest, like Mother Nature wrote the soundtrack.

• A rogue gust of wind flipping your skirt and your dignity, leaving you laughing like a lunatic.

• A cheeky mall run in your abaya with very little underneath…because who says modesty can’t feel naughty?

• The heavenly ping of a dream-holiday confirmation email.

• Sunday breyani eaten with your fingers, no apologies.

• Or my favorite: spending all day in pajamas, doing gloriously, luxuriously, absolutely nothing.

Parker’s Paradox

Pleasure is inherently good. But like carbs, and bad decisions, it’s best in moderation. (Too much and you’re not a hedonist, you’re a headline.) And when shared with someone you love? Darling, that’s not just pleasure. That’s communion.

Parker's Postscript

Seek pleasure. Learn from pain. One gives you goosebumps, the other gives you grit. Together, they give you growth, and one hell of a good memoir.

So, this very day (yes, even a Monday) I challenge you: make your own list. Indulge in a bit of both pleasure and pain. (Tiny nibbles only, please, remember… balance and moderation).

Because maybe pleasure isn’t just about chasing what feels good. Maybe it’s about remembering that life itself, the messy, juicy, sticky, silly parts, is a feast. And the only RSVP required is a willingness to say: “Yes. More, please.”