Someone who was wise once said, “Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time.” – Chinese Proverb
While that’s all well and good, I can’t help but feel, “To change or not to change is never a clear choice.”
We can opt to keep things frozen in time or refashion how we think and feel about almost anything and everything.
Altering how we do things helps us fit into an ever-changing new world, but does it work for us as individuals?
Consider those millions of people who, every day, order books online. It makes good sense while the advantages are practical. There is no need to get in your car and drive to a bookstore or library. Just at the touch of a finger, you can jump right in and escape to whatever world you are seeking. Exploring stories filled with romance, history, and how-to-do just about anything can fill our imagination and soul, leaving us wanting more.
But do we really enjoy doing the swipe?
I personally do not.
You see, I will always take preference in TURNING THE PAGE!
There is something so notable in the touch of a corner of a book page. Pulling it back, away from the next one, in those few seconds, as if you put an open hand behind your ear, you give full attention to the writer. The silent pause then draws you further into the story.
I prefer the feel of the smooth pulp to the swipe of an eBook. For me, it’s personal over mechanical.
It is not that I am averse to reading eBooks. Actually, I now have begun selling my works on Amazon both digitally and in print. My predicament is always having the option and then having to make the choice. That is what I wrestle with.
I am inundated with technology like most people. Gadgets rule my life and given the option now I couldn’t live with out them.
So, what’s my problem?
It’s hard to explain to a Zoomer my predicament since they came into this world exposed to digital devices so early. The experts recommend holding off until two years old so they can learn person-to-person communication. However, parents, get seduced into buying such gadgets for convenience and accessibility. As I saw my three-year-old granddaughter operating her mother’s iPad, I was amazed and dismayed at the same time. I was astounded by her ability to maneuver the back-touch button and retrieve her video choice, however, saddened at the absence of innocence in learning.
Upon graduating from college, I received one of my most inspiring gifts, a print of Homer Winslow’s, A New Novel. I have carried that print with me and hung it in my office at every job since.
The painting speaks for itself, and for me, it’s not about the artist’s style or technique but the pure joy of lying in the grass, perhaps on a warm summer’s day, resting on a pillow and reading a book.
So, in a world where everything moves fast so we may keep up, we need to get on board. It doesn’t mean we have to update our phones every time a new one comes out or stop how we have always done things. It suggests we have to continue to adapt and try out new things and ways that make our lives easier and more efficient. And for those of us that may drag our feet and wish to keep our old-style ways, then, by all means, do it. It's okay.
Therefore I will use my air fryer over utilizing a pan any day, keep asking Alexa, “find my phone” than worrying about where I left it, GPS my way around than ask for directions, and use an electronic calendar in place of a day planner.
However, for me, the soft pulp of a page will always outshine the flat screen.
This gal will always turn the page.
HAPPY READING!
By Jill Modell-Dion the creator of Aging Creative.
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Well done!!!!!