On habits, and being human
"But there was a pervasive melancholy, the vague sense that something
bright and happy and true was missing from my life—a wonderful friend
and not just a reliable route to comfort and satisfaction.
I suppose
that these are signs of addiction, much as the way you repeatedly reach
for the matches in your pocket when you’re trying to give up smoking. But please remind me: What’s so bad about addiction? I can’t remember.
Isn’t it something about giving up your freedom? Isn’t freedom an
illusion?"
--from an article written by Jeffrey Steingarten in the May 2012 issue of Vogue
Lots of people know Jeffrey Steingarten from his television appearances on the Food Network as well as from his role as food critic for Vogue Magazine (I know, to many that sounds like an oxymoron, just like Ethiopian cuisine -- which of course exists and is delicious.)
I've never gotten into any of his articles as much as I got into "Mr. Clean," which he wrote during and after his experience on The Master Cleanse, a trendy and super strict fast that consists of ingesting lemonade and little else for at least 10 days. The whole piece was super sharp: At times very funny, at times very reflective, at all times very good.
https://cafenyamnyam.com