Relics of the past

The problem with the rapidly changing technology of today is the near-elimination of many more traditional forms of media and others. Physical forms are being slowly phased out and eschewed. But please: save the books. Save your books. Save your records and CDs. There’s something romantic about these mediums. There’s a reason why fountain pens haven’t yet been phased out entirely, and why purists insist on mechanical watches.
Romance. It’s not a concept we normally associate with watches and books. However the truth is that I cannot stand reading more than a few paragraphs on a computer screen. I’d much prefer to trace the words with my pencil and possibly underline when necessary. I choose to pay the premium over today’s eBooks because I still dream of someday filling a little bookshelf I can refer to as my library.
Similarly, there’s something about mechanical things. People build their own record players from the ground up, all for that analogue sound, in the name of purity. Watch collectors collect mechanical watches despite the obvious accuracy advantage of quartz watches. Why? Because there’s something about the fact that the watch is wound by the motion of your hand. Fountain pens require the user to slow down and make more deliberate strokes over the smooth rolling ballpoint pens of today.
Some of us and indeed future generations will inevitably choose to eschew some of the things I’m bringing up here, but they’re important to people, and are often the things that remain constant through time. These persistent relics of the past can serve to remind you of what’s important at times, and would argue that you should really slow down with your life.

- Kenneth