We long for the old simple days

“We long for the old simple days but we are, most of us, caught in a world of paradox. We have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but we have less, buy more but we enjoy it less. We have bigger houses, and have smaller families, more convenience, but less time. We have more degrees, but less sense, more knowledge but less judgement, more experts but more problems, more medicine but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch too much TV and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values; we talk too much, love too seldom and lie too often. We’ve learned how to make a living but not a life. We have added years to our life but not life to our years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet our new neighbour. We’ve conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things but not better things. We’ve cleaned up the air but polluted the soul; we’ve split the atom but not our prejudice. We write more but learn less; we plan more and accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush and not to wait, higher incomes, but lower morals. We’ve got more food, but less appeasement, more acquaintances, but fewer friends, more effort but less communication. We’ve become long on quantity but quite short on quality. These are the times for fast foods and slow digestion, of tall men and short characters, of steep profits but shallow relationships. These are the days of world peace, but domestic warfare, more leisure, less fun; more kinds of food but less nutrition. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, of fancier houses but broken homes. These are then days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one night stands, overweight bodies and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It’s a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stock room. Indeed it’s all true. The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what we want most for what we want at this moment.” Anonymous