Where Did Our Simple Joys Go?
I miss having to buy a newspaper
Call me naive, but lately, I’ve been thinking about all the simple things we’ve lost with all the complicated things we’ve gained. All the anxieties we’ve developed while trying to stay on top of progress and and all the simple moments stolen by technology.
It’s never been harder to relax than in today’s hyper-stimulating reality, and “joy” is the last word that comes to mind for most of us when thinking about modern-day America.
For some of us, the distractions are a welcome escape from reality. But for others, myself included, they’re just that — distractions from the important things in life.
So here are some of the simple joys I miss (that didn’t feel like joys when I had them).
The simple joy of waiting by the (actual) phone.
The simple joy of walking to the payphone.
The simple joy of long phone conversations.
The simple joy of knocking on your neighbor’s door to borrow salt.
The simple joy of having to see your friends in person to find out what they’re up to.
The simple joy of having long, unhurried conversations.
The simple joy of being together without distractions.
The simple joy of watching the kids play outside for hours on end.
The simple joy of writing things down on paper.
The simple joy of writing by hand.
The simple joy of opening a letter.
The simple joy of writing a letter.
The simple joy of reading a paper book.
The simple joy of jumping in puddles.
The simple joy of watching our kids jumping in puddles.
The simple joy of digging in the dirt.
The simple joy of growing food.
The simple joy of knowing where your food comes from.
The simple joy of turning on the TV and not knowing what’s there.
The simple joy of not knowing what the weather will bring.
The simple joy of not knowing what’s going on in the world if we don’t want to.
The simple joy of having an occasional cigarette.
The simple joy of enjoying a full-fat yogurt.
The simple joy of enjoying a glass of wine without counting how many alcohol units you consumed this week.
The simple joy of the Sunday paper.
The simple joy of listening to the radio.
The simple joy of walking to the store to pick up a gallon of milk.
The simple joy of being bored.
The simple joy of our kids being bored.
The simple joy of having to buy a CD to listen to music.
The simple joy of buying a DVD (or a VHS!) to watch a movie.
The simple joy of cherishing every song and movie you own.
The simple joy of buying quality-made products.
The simple joy of cherishing your possessions.
The simple joy of not thinking you might have cancer every time you have an itch.
Surely, I still read paper books (though not as much as Kindle), and I make sure my daughter jumps in puddles. Though it often feels like an exception, not the rule.
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