We are a dying breed, those of us who love words on the printed page.
I refer to myself more frequently these days as a "print dinosaur," surrounded as I am by bright, accomplished people with every new idea and device designed for "pushing content." Hence the name of my blog.
And this is not a new phenomenon. I recall in my younger days (yes, pre-Internet) struggling with graphic designers who wanted more white space in the annual report. They knew, long before I accepted it, that people are no longer readers.
So why am I now pushing content on an electronic medium? Because I know you are out there, too. We print dinosaurs are wise enough to know that "Googling it" is the way people now find stuff. Including books to read. And we need to spread the word. Reading is fundamental to the human race. A book (not a Nook) in your hands is special. It defies explanation. But it must be demonstrated, cultivated and passed along. God bless librarians, everywhere.
Just this morning a friend asked on her Facebook page for summer reading suggestions. Books that "you could not put down." I immediately gave her several*, but so did a dozen others! Inspiring. And as I walked to my bookcases to find a few could-not-put-down titles, I was struck by the flood of emotion I felt. I love my wall of books. The spines are colorful, worn, touched by human hands (how many I cannot count). The books remind me of the stories within, places I've visited, people I've discussed the books with, lessons I've learned. Some bring back the feeling of a child on my lap, being read to. And from the gaps on the shelves--friends I've lent books to.
So let's start with summer. Bring back the summer reading list, long-live summer reads! But don't keep the list to yourself. Share it--with those you love the most, your officemate, a neighbor. Make sure some are children. Give them a book, and tuck the list inside. Ha! Just now I felt the scratchy fabric on my parents' sofa as I spent hours lying there, reading during the long, warm Salt Lake summers. I need to go take a "nap."
*Oh yes. My suggestions: Rebecca, A Supremely Bad Idea, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and one I meant to add: The Spirit of St. Louis. What are yours?
