Good clean fun

Do you know what good clean fun is?

I give up, what good is it?


Somehow, things aren't as interesting or fun unless they are somewhat guilt-inducing.

Anything that we do, on balance, is only fun if we feel slightly guilty doing it. If it feels somewhat illicit, wrong or self-indulgent, it is fun. :D

I know I ought to finish cooking, any market chores, all or any urgent errands before I tackle my crosswords, but everyday I scan the headlines and fold the papers to the crossword section. Oh, I feel guilty, combining preparing breakfast with solving the rather easy The Daily Telegraph crosswords, both quick and cryptic; it just doesn't stop me from doing it. :D

Doing crosswords at breakfast is a habit I developed early in my marriage, and it has been a part of my early morning rituals ever since. "The Sacred Duty", I call it, only half joking. The knowledge that it could wait till say, afternoon when I am at a loose end, just makes it more enticing.

The pleasure has become somewhat diluted since The Statesman stopped carrying The Times crosswords. But never mind, I got my revenge. I stopped reading The Statesman.

When I surf and read online instead of checking my mail and composing replies, it is the same principle at work. You ought to be doing something, but you'd rather do something else. So you do the something else, feeling slightly guilty.

As Obelix would say, Human beings are crazy! (tap, tap, tap)

On the other hand, the crosswords I do online are serious business; so I finish all my chores, including clearing my mail-box, make sure there won't be interruptions before I log on to The times, or The Guardian. I don't need residual guilt warping my enjoyment then. After all, these crosswords are business, not good clean fun. :D


Cheers!