rejecting convenience
as i grew through my adult years, one thought has been running through my head over and over again:
"how much have humans been sacrificing in the name of 'convenience'?"
that word... the word "convenience" has become my least favorite word in the english language. i can't stand it. so many things that are bad for humans' social lives, health, and well-being, are consistently used because they're "convenient". why bother going to the brick-and-mortar store? amazon is more "convenient". why bother cooking a nice meal for yourself? doordash and uber eats are more "convenient". why go out and socialize with people? facebook is more "convenient". why use a digital camera, camcorder, or polaroid? your smartphone is more "convenient". why bother going to the theater or concerts? netflix and spotify are more "convenient". why bother making art? asking an AI to generate it for you is more "convenient".
well, i say nuts to that. from now on, i'm going to make my life as inconvenient as possible. i'm going to go to the store and buy stuff in person. i'm going to make my own food with my own hands. i'm going to socialize with people face-to-face. i'm going to use a true camera instead of my phone's camera. i'm going to buy blu-rays, DVDs, and CDs instead of streaming. i'm going to take my time when creating, watching, playing, and reading a work of art.
i don't want to sound high-and-mighty with this. you're not a bad person for using streaming services. but not only are these "convenient" systems costing more money, they're costing humans' social lives and life skills, the most important things that make us human. so, in the interest of keeping my humanity, i'm going to live my life the inconvenient way.
and if you can, i invite you to join me in rejecting convenience.