What is it with being easy? Are we so obsessed with the idea that we miss out on some of the finer things in life? Here are some behaviors I think we’ve adapted because of our infatuation with making everything easy:

• Assembly line eating. Please, let’s eat it family style. I can’t take this informal soup kitchen style anymore. Let’s gather ’round the table, set everything, and converse for about 2 hours without disruption. Easy makes dining a process, not enjoyable.
• Our weight problems. Fast food? How about well prepared, non-processed, non-preservative food. You know, the good stuff. 70% of our weight is nutrition. Easy causes us to be fat.
• Work ethic deterioration. We’re so obsessed with making things easy, we don’t appreciate hard work and the accomplishments that come from it. Easy makes us lazy.
• Increased sit time. If easy is doing it’s job, we should have ample time to just sit around and acknowledge, “That was easy.” It then becomes the talking point for about 5-10 minutes. Talking about what’s easy? Boring.

I’m not asking to make things more difficult ’cause I do believe in better living through technology. But not at the expense of the little things we might be missing out on because of our fear of difficulty or putting in overtime. Little things that add up to an enjoyable life. Little things our grandparents enjoyed. Little things that fill our lives with meaning.

Has easy gone too far? What’s missing from this list?