I bought some wired earbuds this week and it reminded me how great simple tools can be. They don’t have noise cancellation, the cable occasionally gets caught on things, and I can’t charge my phone at the same time, but in some situations they’re just perfect. I’ve been enjoying analog tools in general. A regular watch. Pen and paper. A 35mm film camera. This shouldn’t feel like a whole thing, but it’s a thing.
When I resubscribed to the Atlantic recently, I subscribed to the print edition. It’s nice, actually, to have your choices be limited. The bottomless pit of words on the internet can be overwhelming. I’m always looking for the very best words on the internet, but I spend all of my time looking and none of my time reading. Sitting down with a magazine means that you might not be reading the very best words, but… you’re reading.
There are so many ways—increasingly; endlessly—to get exactly what you want delivered to your eyeballs or ears or mouth, but it’s so easy to get exactly what you think you want, and for it to just feel… fine. There’s something about engaging with the world more simply that can make it feel more wonderful. I’m tired of trying to find the perfect thing, and exhausted by the tools that claim to help. I yearn for a simpler time.