"Change or Perish" by Roger Cohen, via Lexington:
Before leggings, when there were letters, before texts and tweets, when there was time, before speed cameras, when you could speed, before graffiti management companies, when cities had souls, we managed just the same.
Before homogenization, when there was mystery, before aggregation, when the original had value, before digital, when there was vinyl, before Made in China, when there was Mao, before stress management, when there was romance, we had the impression we were doing all right.
The rhythm feels e. e. cummings-ish ("long enough and just so long / tomorrow will not be too late"). The tone sad, but beautiful.