Thursday, December 13, 2018

December Thirteenth

I'm trying still to post each day from my phone. Posts will be short (thankfully, right?), and I'm not sure how to view and approve comments.
Today I'm painting. A small watercolor by Tasha Tudor of an autumn wreath caught my attention.


When I have a list of tasks, I find that I order them according to enjoyment , saving the most satisfying until last. I'm planning my own delayed gratification.  Do you do that? Somehow I enjoy making myself wait for something enjoyable . Why is that? Are we wired to enjoy instant gratification or delayed gratification?

Advent answers this, I think. Not only does God ask us to wait, but waiting is designed to bring wonder, joy, and giddy anticipation. Those are childlike qualities, but oh how we adults need them in our lives!

Instant gratification, especially as we experience it in technology , seems to kill the joy of waiting. The death of my laprop, combined with Advent, has made me ponder this.

6 comments:

Gumbo Lily said...

The wreath painting will be fun and beautiful I think. TT is a good inspirer of art, isn't she? I also save some of my favorite things to do for last when I have other chores to do in a day. It's nice to have the mundane done before the fun projects. I at least feel better about "indulging" afterwards. BUT....there are times when I do the favorite thing first, because often I won't get to it or make time for it. Do you ever do that?

Granny Marigold said...

I think I do the same thing, doing the less enjoyable first.
Whether we are "wired" that way is a good question!

GretchenJoanna said...

Ha! My technology is getting less instant all the time. And waiting for it is not the most likely to satisfy in the end. Google makes me wait through several levels of security measures on Blogger posts this last week, and then sends me back to my Google account instead of letting me post with my URL, and nearly drives me nuts. So we'll see if I can post this comment.

I love the beginning of your watercolor, and your strategy of delayed gratification. I don't have a very daily expectation of gratification these days... unless it is getting into bed and being able to fall asleep. I know that sounds bad, and I think it is...

Boyett-Brinkley said...

Under certain circumstances I like instant gratification but at other times, I like waiting. The enjoying of the event is in the waiting. Waiting reminds me of my youth -- you know, that awkward time when we want to be grown -- we were so silly.

Pom Pom said...

I agree. We should delay gratification more than we do.
I love your painting and I love the mouse book! Your art in it is so fun!

Una said...

I don't blog on my phone. But I have set it up somewhere in my Blogger settings to receive email notifications when someone leaves a comment for approval. It seems to be quite easy to view the comment and approve it through my email account. Well done for blogging every day. I must pick up speed again.