Pleasure Fatigue

The other night, we passed a sign**. It read:

As we passed this sign, my heart sagged a little. The tug wasn't the joy of promised bacon, or the thrill of three cheeses at once. It was fatigue.

How much more can we withstand? Is it ever possible to reach the end of pleasure? The end of the thrill? What will it take? Does it have to end in total gluttonous oblivion, when we've snarfed down that last crumb of Bacon-Chipotle-Ranch Drizzled Four Cheese Stuffed Pasta in a Bread Bowl, sandwiched between two 1/3 lb. Burgers, slathered with Chili and Garlic Mayo, served with a Sweet and Sour, Honey Mustard, Cream Cheese, Caramel Dipping Sauce?

This has nothing to do with nutrition, arteries or weight loss. It has to do with the wearying overload of taste sensations.

When I was a kid, I used to freak out at the very thought of going to Carowinds. Carowinds is much like every other theme park in the United States: Roller Coasters named for natural disasters, animatronic animals, college students lip syncing American Standards on the half hour, a melange of mascots. It's very purpose, the only reason for a theme park to exist, is EF-YOU-EN.

(Oddly, I mentioned Carowinds in a post last year at about this time. Perhaps I need to make a pilgrimage.)

And Efyouen, was most certainly had...for a while. As the sun set, the splurges of the day weighed heavy on the organs. The heat prickled up the backs of knees. I would sit, nearly silent on the way home (probably wearing a glo-necklace), while my lungs labored against the embolus of undigested food somewhere near my diaphragm.

These types of indulgences were pretty rare in Kid-dom. Birthdays, Holidays, Treats for jobs well done. That's when the gates were set open to the fields of Doritos, French Onion Dip, and Funnel Cakes.

But now, with every strip mall or street corner looking like a carnival midway, I find that I am weary of the Bacon Flavored Cotton Candy Bonanza.


**This sandwich is featured under Potbelly's "Skinny" offerings. Small print: Must remove Cheese and Bacon.