Yes. I did it. I caved.
You may recall back on January 7, 2011 I posted an article entitled “Content is King”. If not, by all means check it out, you will need the ammunition to judge me when I confess:
I caved. I now own an e-reader. Me, the walking anachronism who swore to never dare read the New York Times in anything but its original form. Me, who swore that it was the cover art, the feel of the page, the smell of the ink in a real book that is my ideal. That me.
In my defense, I came to my senses due to a renovation in my new apartment. Dear God, I had no idea how many books I owned. Yes, I knew there were a lot, but oh how easily we deny the obvious; how we fool ourselves into thinking it’s not as bad as it seems. Then one day, after hefting an inordinate number of tomes, you just have to tell yourself…”STOP BUYING BOOKS!”
Am I an organized person? Yes. Still, I seem to have books in every room of the apartment. That is not such a bad thing, but downsizing your living space tends to make you value space and crave organization, hence the need for all the books to be in one place. Bookshelves must be purchased and a small library room built.
At any rate, giving up books is no easy task, but with cuts to library funding local libraries have a great need for donations. I consider this a win-win situation. What good are books if they sit on a shelf unshared and unread? That’s just sad. So with that in mind, I will be donating the books that I no longer need to have on hand. Also, I told myself that this will not be an excuse to purchase books to replace the ones I am giving up. No, no, no! That defeats the purpose entirely. Unless…
I’m sure you see where I am heading. Consider, the e-reader that I had previously panned. Hmm…you can take a small, lightweight device, carry it everywhere, read till your hearts content and…load with up to 3,500 books. 3,500 books that would never fit in your apartment. 3,500 books that you will never have to tote, or move, or dust. Um, why am I just now catching on to this?
Simple answer to that, really. I saw one. In person. I held it, I used it, I saw how easy it is to read, even in bright sunlight. At the risk of sounding like an advertisement, it is as wonderful as the manufacturers would have you believe. All that and a new improved price? Why not?
So, I went there. I now own a Kindle® and I have to admit it is the smartest little device. It just makes so much sense. This does not mean that I will no longer purchase hard copies of books, because I love them, and I love shopping in bookstores. What it does mean is that I can travel unhindered by a suitcase that weighs as much as a teenaged child (not to mention actually have room to pack clothes). I can carry my reading material wherever I go and not have my shoulders and back ache. Let’s face facts, it just makes sense on many levels.
They say that with age comes wisdom. Fortunately I’m not so advanced in age to be completely inflexible. It may take some research and convincing, but I eventually come to my senses and embrace technology. It all comes with the territory of being an eternal learner. Some things never change. But some things have to.
Yup, I caved, too! I’ve always considered myself a hardcore traditionalist when it comes to books and I still am most of the time. But, after receiving my Kindle as a gift, I have to say I love that thing. Most of the time my nose is still stuck in an actual book, but when I can’t find a particular book at my local bookstore, my Kindle is always ready to download it in no time flat. Now, that I love!
That is what I love as well – they honestly were not kidding when they said “download a book in sixty seconds”. Powerful stuff, that. The look on my father’s face when I relayed that I had “The Great Gatsby” in the blink of an eye. His question “A sample, right? Not the entire book?” “No Dad, the entire book”. He was stunned, as was I to a degree. There is something so comforting in knowing you will never be stuck somewhere without a good book (unless of course you forget your Kindle!). Do you find its a bit uncomfortable to be thought of as the “hardcore traditionalist”, especially after being so vocal about it, now that you have given in? Ah well, it was the smart thing to do and we’re the better for it. You know, we should volunteer to do ads. I mean, if they can convert us…