After moving in yesterday, I decided today to take a walk with my roommate around the campus. After trying to haggle over the price of 4 trash cans at a Habitat for Humanity charity sale (before realizing that it was a Habitat for Humanity charity sale), we spent the next hour and a half trying to buy new trash cans at a price that would justify our refusal of the used ones. This failed, as could be expected. While we walked home with our new, slightly too expensive trash cans, I began to muse on the deep dilemmas of life.

“Some days, like today, I take a look at the weather outside, and think to myself, ‘God it’s such a nice day. Look at the colors of the brick buildings, the leaves on the trees, the sky, and the Charles river. Look at those shadows and the patterns they make on the ground, and the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind, and, and. Why am I not outside? Why am I not lying naked on the grass, letting the cool breeze caress my sun-soaked body?’ Okay, maybe just ‘Why am I not outside?’ I want to go on a run, but I already went on one this morning, when it wasn’t as nice out. There’s no one to go read on the grass with me, and it’s slightly too cool to just lounge. So then…”

“So then you go back and check your email.” My roommate understands.

“Yeah, and to write on my blog.”

So there you have it. My tale of the proverbial Modern Technology usurping the proverbial Experiences That Matter.