Writing a blog, you never know
where inspiration will come from. At least I don’t. Just this morning I saw this
photo, posted by a Facebook friend in Poland. What a visual statement about our
times!
All five of the people seated are
reading, but what’s the guy on the right using? For people of my generation,
that’s a silly question. But in centuries to come, might sociologists,
anthropologists – and even educators – be discussing the relative merits of
that antiquated communication device, that thing called the “book”?
Imagine the conversation: “The book was a simple tool, really. It had
no on-off switch, required no batteries, nor could it be recharged. When you
were finished reading you…well, you put it down, often never to pick it up
again, and you picked up another…book!” “Really? How quaint. What primitive
times those were!”
If you were to look in my family
room, you’d see I’ve placed great value on simple, non-electronic instruments
known as books. Even though I do much of my reading these days on computers, a
tablet (in my case, an iPad), and now a smart phone, I’ll never lose my deep
affection for real books. Part of it’s sensory: They have a distinctive feel,
the paper and ink, the gloss on the cover, the heft, especially of classic
literary tomes. Then there’s the smell, even of musty books that have been
around for a long time; it gives them character. And the sound, the rustle of
pages as they turn, the satisfied “thump” books make when you close them.
No question, digital books and other
publications on tablets and smart phones are convenient, and add no additional
weight after being downloaded. I recall many times lugging books in a briefcase
to keep me company while traveling.
But there’s something about a
book, holding it, carrying it, opening it time and again as you advance along
the journey the author has created for you. Somehow, turning pages as you proceed
toward your destination – the last page – allows you to bond with the book, sometimes
resulting in a cherished, lifelong friendship.
As time passes, I realize, I’ll
be a member of a shrinking minority. Increasingly, people will know books as
something you retrieve with the touch of a screen, and read with the deft flip
of a fingertip. No matter – as long as people continue to read, I guess it
doesn’t matter what media are used for accessing the books.
And I hope that, despite
increasingly sophisticated technology, people will always be drawn to that
timeless, most treasured book of all, the Bible. Whether in paper or visible digitally,
I’m convinced it’s the one resource for experiencing life as God intended.
1 comment:
Great photo and good points.
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