The sweet agony of anticipation is what makes everything worth it. Watching those food videos where they cut the steak is better than most steaks I've eaten (no offense Chris Sovine). When I'm building the Ikea bookcase my wife got me for Christmas with my son, it's the memory of building it that will matter and not the bookcase. Turns out, that's how I remember Lundi Gras, too.
Mardi Gras is the big day. We wait for months in anticipation to blow all of our debauchery on as many hours as we can stay conscious. But that day before, the pregaming, is where all the magic is. We eat our king cakes, knowing tomorrow will be the (official) end of them for a year. We drink our beers in celebration of the the pending celebration. Any mischievousness is novel and exciting because it speaks only of what more will come.
Brain science backs this up. It turns out mammals are more interested in the "seeking" of an object than they are in obtaining the object (The Archeology of the Mind, Jaak Panskepp). It's no wonder the best life is lived in the journey. The eve of anything always seems to feel more mystical than the anything. So for Lundi Gras today, even though I'm in Austin and the Mardi Gras is lame (sorry 6th St.) I'm going to live like tomorrow is something big. Because it will make today all the more worth it. Happy Lundi Gras y'all!
Oh! And if you want to see my little take on Lundi Gras, which is both an excerpt from my novel and a winner at the Writing District...here it is! https://thewritingdistrict.com/november-2018-winner/
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