Sailing Troubles

Sailing Troubles

All of the biggest inventions created by man speak volumes about his laziness; we can never resist the appeal of innovation and the convenience it brings. Bip-bopping to the latest jingles advertising jetpacks and Japanese trinkets, we fling ourselves into a swirling vortex of technological advancement. The sun has set on the days of unembellished primitivism: now, the era of progress steers modern society, taking the wheel on our perpetual quest to move forward. The fuel in our engines? Indolence: we urge ourselves to “move on” because we are so resistant to the thought of physical movement.

Indeed, technology brings convenience, but at what price? By “moving on”, we sacrifice the sense of achievement that would have once accompanied our accomplishments. We sacrifice the enjoyment of gadgets and gizmos as we incessantly replace them with new ones. We sacrifice the luxury of staying still and absorbing the grandeur of what we have achieved – we harry ourselves to “move on” to avoid physically moving any more than we must. In the mean time, we deny ourselves the simple pleasure of savoring the fruits of our labor. Putting one foot in front of the other has become so daunting a task that we try desperately to evade it; and so, we push ourselves to continue sailing onwards, in hopes of one day living without having to lift a finger.

Our mission to render physical activity dispensable comes with the decline of one of humanity’s most important virtues: gratitude. Unfortunately, the ability to appreciate is not one we can afford to forgo. Perhaps it is time to halt the engines of our convenience-seeking voyage; perhaps it is time to lounge on the starboard with a martini in hand, and simply enjoy the view.