Daily writing prompt

What’s the one luxury you can’t live without?

View all responses

Food. Proper food.

I’ve been part of the working poor for my entire adult life–an unwilling proletariat–so I can’t say that I’ve had much in the way of luxuries apart from, maybe, nice fragrances. I haven’t had a car in decades (which is actually more of a fiery, idle money pit than a luxury, especially if you live in a transit-rich urban area like I do) and I don’t care about designer purses or shoes, being a practical gal who walks everywhere and needs capacious bags for her various needs. I don’t care about jewelry, and vacations are entirely indulgent and completely out of the question for me presently. If I had the dough, I would absolutely travel, and I’m grateful that I did spend many years teaching and travelling around the world; despite being poor, I have been fortunate enough to have experiences that have enriched my life. But I can’t afford anything at all right now.

…so at this point in time–a very dark period for many–I would say that eating properly is my biggest luxury. Food is obscenely expensive for everyone at present, and every supplier is getting into the “inflation for record profits” game; even the feckless rubbish bin known as McDonald’s, which does not count as food and which is rancid, processed waste, has increased its prices by over 100% since 2014. Why anyone would spend fifteen bucks on a Big Mac “meal” when they can grab a filet of salmon and a head of broccoli for less than ten is way past my ability to reason.

I will not pump toxic matter into my body or brain. Proper food is medicinal and critical for all functions, and so eating exactly what I need is my biggest luxury. It is all I spend my spare money on, and there is really no spare money on my end for anything else. Fresh produce in the form of vegetables and lean protein is a non-negotiable for me. I rarely eat anything processed apart from chocolate, and I can feel it in my moods and energy levels if I don’t eat vegetables and fish or eggs regularly. It’s preventative medicine, nutritional healing, and one must invest in this for the long term.

As “they” say, live and make decisions for the present that your future self will thank you for.

Maybe one day I’ll be able to afford a new bottle of Jo Malone parfum, but that’s honestly daring to dream at this point.