It feels like all our progress is headed towards turning everything into a plastic shell. Cheap to produce, easy to sell, quick to replace. Every aspect of life is being turned into an opportunity for monetization and automation, to the detriment of its depth. But people shouldn't be made into selfish hive machines. This will bite the modern society really hard down the road — and I'm not even talking about environmental issues. An alternative must be pursued, where some inconvenience is welcomed, some selflessness is virtuous, some patience rewarded.
Your fantasy is eerily close to mine. We would probably make good neighbors, living slowly across a meadow and a stream. Thoreauvian ideas are quite close to my heart. One chair for solitude, two for friendship, and three for society. If only living in such a simple way was more attainable!
To the health and blooming maturity of us and all!