I might as well make it as enjoyable as possible.
This is my basic operating philosophy for most of the things that I do. For example, I am obligated by the mores of society to wear clothing, so I do my best to have as much fun with fashion and style as possible. The same thing applies with food. I have to eat anyway, so I like to cook well, to experiment with replicating recipes for things I’ve tried elsewhere and liked, etc.
I think this is a pretty common approach actually. Why else would we have scented soap? You can get just as clean with saponified sludge made of lye from wood-ash cooked up with rendered suet.
Likewise the whole notion of options. We could all have one-speed bicycles, painted flat black, with fenders, medium-wide tires, and a squeaky-sprung leather seat. But perhaps I don’t like the leather seat; you want slim racing tires, and the fellow across town thinks fenders are for weenies. Or cars. We didn’t have to progress from the Tin Lizzie – the old Model T fulfilled the requirements of reasonable reliability, ease of maintenance, and accessible purchase price. It came in a size to fit almost every family. But people wanted comfort, style, and fun, and even Ford had to concede that people didn’t want just utility; they wanted enjoyment, too.
Because I can be inclined to be a bit of a pessimist, I try to keep in mind the enjoyable things that I get to do every day, the pleasures I look forward to as occasional treats, and big events that will be big fun. It helps me keep perspective and not dwell on the stuff that sucks.
You’ve found a way to play at the things that are not play. I sometimes like to embellish and embroider on the every day stuff I gotta do. But sometimes I’m relieved that I can get by with the minimum. The thing that draws me on day to day is the feeling that I will discover new ideas, new sights, new juxtapositions that will bring delight.