My cousin, my long lost cousin, he lives in the USA, just popped up one day in cyberspace. Now, don’t ask me the details about his arrival, because it was a while ago, and I have a very unreliable memory. But, this man, my cousin, is amazing, he has more problems and gripes than people.

My long lost cousin has the wisdom of Solomon. He says, progress doesn’t have to be the automatic consequence of accumulated knowledge and science development, because of the problems progress creates. Slow it all down! We would be happier.

Should we go back to the horse and buggy? He’s not sure. But, look at the damage and pollution cars, planes and weapons of war has caused. My cousin says, it’s the side effects that we have to withstand that gets to us.

Let me give you an example. This is about his disdain for technological progress. Let’s get to some specifics that my cousin has related to me by electronic mail. He said he has lost thousands of $ to tech advances in the last 25 years or so. It’s not just the money, he says, but the fact that he loved his old things!

First, “ they” took his 8 track tapes. You remember those? They were those large clunky reels of tape. “ They” made them cassette tapes, then into CD’s, then MP3’s.

Then his movie collection got changed. Beta, then VHS, DVD;s to Blue Ray. What next, he says, holograms in the middle of his lounge?

Now, he still has his old 8 track tape player, but can’t get it repaired. “ They” say it’s too old, no parts available. It’s an antique!

One good thing, he tells me, is that he kept his old crank phonograph player, so at least he can play his 78 rpm records.

My cousin says, people need to have their progress slowly. Everything today is much too rapid.

If tech advances were taken gradually, step by step, my cousin probably would still be playing his cherished 8 track tapes.

Anyway, he believes the world has gone progress bonkers, crazy, mad!!!

I really feel for him, don’t you?