I've read a lot of books lately, now that I have the time. These
have been real, paper books rather than Kindle ones. Since I've been reading so
voraciously, I decided to go back to the library rather than spending a fortune
on Amazon. Up to this point, I had completely converted to ebooks, loving the
convenience of having a whole library on my iPad, not having to deal with the
heft of 1000 pages of the latest Game of Thrones novel.
But now that I've gone back to actual
paper books, I've found that there is something special about the turning of a
page and the feel of the smooth-rough paper on my finger-tips. The tactile as
well as the mental stimulation makes it a different experience. It kind of
reminds me of when we switched from dialing type of phones to push button. I
miss the elegant movements of "dialing" a phone...letting your finger
ride gently back with the dial as it returns to the home position.
The book I just finished, A Lady
Cyclist Guide to Kashgar (recommended), has a map in the front of the
book. This is another annoyance when reading on the Kindle. I miss the
convenience of been able to flip pages to see something earlier in the book. Or
when I'm feeling particularly naughty, flipping to the end and reading the last page.
As I studied the map, it brought back memories of geography class,
and creating maps of imaginary places, drawn to reinforce the lessons of what
the various geographic symbols meants...little haystacks for mountains,
brackets for bridges. Drawing my own little kingdom from my mind. I love maps,
but they are also becoming quaint relics of the past. I remember when we'd
return to the States each summer, I somehow assumed the job of navigator,
reading the road maps as we drove from Pennsylvania to Georgia, or North
Carolina. Folding the huge gas station maps so you could read the section where
you were, but also unfolding to see the details of the whole route and routes
not taken.
GPS systems are convenient, but so limiting. It drives me nuts to
see everything through a small screen. There is no way to get a good view of
the whole picture when it is shrunk down to a 4"x4" screen. How do we
know what fascinating sites we may be missing? I've noticed that if I use the
GPS for a route that I know well, it rarely takes me on my preferred path.
Makes me wonder, when I use it for routes I'm unfamiliar with, what weird path
it might be using. I love it when I decide to go my own way, and disregard the
GPS recommendation. It's similar to that feeling when you were young and
decided to ignore something your mother said. Even though you knew she was
probably right, it made you feel good to make your own decision! I think they should add a feature where the
voice gets annoyed and makes you feel guilty; make it more life-like!
And don't get me started on the fact that there
is a whole generation growing up, without the skill of navigating. How will they survive trying to find their way in a city without their iPhones? God, I sound
old! Of course, I couldn't give up my Kindle or my GPS. I just hope that the paper industry doesn't completely disappear like Kodak or those phones I miss.
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