All the modern conveniences

by chuckofish

The DH and I recently used a couple of Amazon gift cards we received at Christmas to purchase a new toaster oven and a Keurig. Since there was no counter space for the Keurig in our little kitchen, we had to purchase a tiny little table for it and rearrange the appliances accordingly (the microwave moved left). I think it all worked out pretty well — it’s certainly a functional arrangement — although I do wish I could fit the doors back on the sideboard.

I must say that I love the Keurig. We are tea drinkers most of the time but we want a coffee occasionally and this makes it fast and easy. True, we wouldn’t pass as environmentalists (wasteful Keurig pods!). Nor can we count ourselves among the truly ardent “use it until it disintegrates” crowd, but we are a lot better than most people. After all, we have a house full of antiques, we don’t redecorate to keep up with fashion, and books are the only thing we buy in excess. Unlike computers, phones, TVs and other electronics, books last.

I like my modern conveniences but they have a muffling effect. Doing things the hard way is important; labor intensive tasks prevent us from atrophy both of the mind and body. Recall Arthur C. Clarke’s prescient warning: “Before you become too entranced with gorgeous gadgets and mesmerizing video displays, let me remind you that information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, and wisdom is not foresight. Each grows out of the other, and we need them all.” Achieving knowledge, wisdom and foresight takes a hell of a lot of effort, and that effort — both the mental and physical kind — is what makes life worth living. Without it, we are just passive blobs.

It’s time for this passive blob to get moving — at least as far as the Keurig 🙂