My mom is 89 and caring for her gives me a clearer perspective on what truly matters in life. “Pretty soon people won’t have to get out of bed in the morning!” mom remarks sharply at machines that do this and gadgets that do that. Add AI bots to the mix and there’s a bitter pill of warning in there. Will these human-amplifying “tools” increase threats to our peace and well-being, order, and sense of community?

I am all for boiling hot water and pouring it over ground coffee beans like a cowboy. It’s a bit of wild romance I can add to my life that seems threatened by the cacophony of the media-driven world. Life is more enjoyable when you do not require the latest this and newest that! That comes on a large barge, fueling the onward march towards hedonistic consumerism.

Cowboy coffee can be gritty! But that is a small price to pay to avoid the world’s current definition of “progress.” More and more material goods for more and more people. Welcome to the 20th century progressive’s idea of progress! Welcome to the new world order!

Jennifer Richardson

Northfield