"As a young working man, I see things which are cyclical, and things which are progressive - both on the very small scale (like a record going round and round [cycle], or the development of technology for audio reproduction [progression] [or ice-cube trays, for another example - or paper napkin dispensers]) - and on the very large scale (like the repetitious passing of the generations [cycle], or the passing on and furthering of knowledge over the ages[progression]). However, as I mature, I realise that much of what is progressive, is really cyclical, in its own way, and the willingness to repeat, to accept and be part of repetition, secretly advancing, without feeling pressure to advance, brings on a meditative bliss, which infuses everyday objects and our regular interactions with them."
The Mezzanine by Nicholson Baker: