I watched a woman use a special tool to seal the plastic bag for two bread loaves during a Costco run today, and it kind of amazed me. We have developed equipment and methods and mechanisms for every single part of our daily lives.

And by “we,” I don’t mean us—most of these inventions or protocols were developed by those long before us. The everyday convenience we enjoy, whether in Silicon Valley or Africa, is the result of generations of progress.

We adapt to these circumstances, and learn to complain about red lights or UPS inefficiencies. But from a larger perspective, it’s all kind of amazing, how we organize, adapt, and live out our lives on this planet.