As someone who grew up extremely religious, it means something to read this. My parents taught us that happiness wasn't the goal. We weren't to try to do things that brought us pleasure. Our function was to please God and find contentment. Anything beyond that was an accidental bonus.
(I also grew up always waiting in dread for the other shoe to drop, because if I felt happy or experienced joy outside of church, I was probably sinning.)
Once, on a trip to Paris, I went to a restaurant that specialized in cassoulet. These were pre-vegetarian times for me, and I was beyond excited to sit down and order a pot of rich, bubbly beans and duck fat. The waiter came to the table, and I asked in my best French, if I could order. He was busy pouring a small aperitif, and slicing housemade sausage onto a plate.
Premier, plaisir, he smiled. First, pleasure.
And so I relaxed and sipped the aperitif.
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