I love Waiting for Godot simply because some things are worth thinking about and struggling over even if the answer isn’t clear. Perhaps in some cases the point isn’t the actual answer but the thinking and the struggle.
Also reminds me of Shawshank Redemption in some ways. My two favorite quotes: “They send you here (prison) for life, and that’s exactly what they take. The part that counts, anyways.” We all (or maybe just some of us) at times get trapped in rhythms or mindsets which strip away our vitality and better selves. I get in funks when I don’t feel like I’m doing something useful or worthwhile. Which then leads me to the classic Shawshank quote, “It comes down to a simple choice, really- get busy living, or get busy dying.”
I think all hobbies cycle up and down as fascination grows and wanes. Maybe move other things to the fore in an effort to find a new challenge or fascination that you find rewarding. No need to worry about the wine, it will always be there for you if and when you want to come back to it.
There are so many things here with which I disagree (though not the dogs and cats aren’t human part), so I’ll focus on just one:
Why is drinking alone a great big no-no? Some of us find joy and peace in the act of opening a bottle alone. I have found those moments to be of special significance, essential to my mental health, during this incredibly difficult period. It’s a chance to commune with my thoughts, still the chaos in my own head, while doing something I love, without distractions or obligations. I adore my husband, and drinking wine with him, or with our dear friends, is one of my greatest pleasures. But he was out last night. I went down to the cellar and drifted around for a while before something caught my eye. I prepared a meal while the wine was coming to temp. I ate and drank quietly and could feel the tension and anxiety that are almost always with me these days unraveling and receding. I would argue that sometimes drinking alone vastly increases my love of wine, and my ability to pay attention to it and stay connected to that passion.
And, by the way, the wine was delicious. A modest, beautiful, alluring wine that made me very happy. I have a lot of much more impressive wines in the cellar, so it’s not a matter of being no longer being able to drink “well” or “better.”
I have found myself in a bit of a funk as well. Seems like it is a confluence of several factors. First, I am still having some residual olfactory sense issues post-Covid. Second, my refrigerators at home are loaded with a lot of higher end wines, 75% of which are not ready, and I need to refill with basic quality daily drinkers. I think my drinking during Covid became a bit routine. Thirdly, work and work stress has been a bit over the top, which does steal a little bit of pleasure from hobbies. Fourth, and this is sort of the cool thing, my son has been home from college for the summer, and we have been drinking and exploring whiskey together quite a bit. I have been introducing him to scotch, he has been introducing me to bourbon, and we have been exploring a middle ground, rye. So whereas I normally drink wine most evenings, this week for example, I drank more whisky. That’s been a fun change.
Beautifully said, Sarah, and with which I am in total agreement. Once the consumption of alcohol is no longer about getting a buzz on but rather about the sensory experiences it offers, it can indeed be enjoyed alone without mischief. But it’s always better enjoyed with intimates.
Me too, part of it is simply the heat, I usually hit the wall around this time of year. Plus it seems like every email offer is something I’m not at all interested in-I can’t remember the last time I perked up after opening an email.
It’ll pass.
All of my hobbies kind of ebb and flow a little bit … I always come back strong to the ones I really care about. Lately (as in last month or two), all I really want to drink is Champagne… could be the weather in FL or could just be on a Champagne kick — who knows?
I understood that. My point was partially that, for me at least, drinking alone actually helps with depression and anxiety. Everyone is different, so across the board prohibitions (or “no-nos”) aren’t very useful.
Same. I posted a similar thread a few Julys ago thinking I’d lost my love of wine. 95 degrees and 80% humidity every day for three months straight can play havoc with the palate and general desire to drink wine.
Very much felt this way earlier this year but I suspect that was due to cabin fever and just not getting out and socialising with people. A month in the US with wider family, dining together inside and out every evening switched me the other way. I’m signed up to 4 wine dinners over the next month and can’t wait. It’s all about the mix of people and wine for me.
Robert, your declining interest in wine, your sense of “ just killing time” with activities such as running and hiking, and your hyper focus on a somewhat gloomy interpretation of “Waiting for Godot” seem to be signs of depression. I don’t know if you have had depression visit you before, but it certainly is an unpleasant guest for many of us. Try to keep active and engaged with the normal things that have given you pleasure in the past and they will again, even if it doesn’t seem so right now. Even on my best days, I can’t argue with 100% conviction against Beckett’s observation that “Nothing can be done”. On my worst days, I just try to carry on.
A couple of quotes to counteract Beckett’s lament.
“This too shall pass”
“If that’s all there is my friends, then let’s keep dancing”
Robert, I too can relate in some degree to what you are experiencing. A lot of my interactions with wine as of late, have been routine. It is dinner time, what wine are we opening? But there isn’t that much excitement to it and I find myself wanting to wrap up consumption earlier than normal, rather than enjoy a nice bottle of wine throughout the course of an evening. For me, I believe some of it has to do with the weather and some of it the fact my wife and I have had less family gatherings/dinners in the last month or so, where we would typically share wine with others.
I do however, still hunt for wine and deals, but I believe that is to satisfy a different aspect of the hobby. I also find it much easier to turn down mailing list offers and wine shop deals than I previously did, which I believe is due to a general lack of interest and feeling my money can be better spent elsewhere. My wife and I also feel stuck in a cycle, which we thought we could break in early fall with a vacation, but as the northeast slowly starts to lock itself back down, we feel the prospect of a vacation fading away.
I am hopeful that the holiday season will help turn things around and provide opportunity to celebrate and enjoy wine with family. At the very least, my son is 18 months old now and I look forward to enjoying the holidays with him, especially this year compared to the last, as he begins to talk and understand things.
I hope that this passes for you and that you find excitement again, whether it is wine or whatever else life has to offer.
The entire ‘vibe’ or whatever you want to call it of the world, country, consciousness, just feels off regardless. Something just isn’t right and I’m sure many of us are feeling it and just trying to go on as best as we can.
One day while walking through the wilderness a man stumbled upon a vicious tiger. He ran, but soon came to the edge of a high cliff. Desperate to save himself, he climbed down a vine and dangled over the fatal precipice…
As he hung there, two mice appeared from a hole in the cliff and began gnawing on the vine…
Suddenly, he noticed on the vine a plump wild strawberry. He plucked it and popped it in his mouth…
It was incredibly delicious, the best strawberry he ever had!
