Taking a Break and Ranting!

No, it's not from writing but my KITCHEN! I've been hard at it for two days now. Now with the dinner tomorrow, I've been fluttering in and out all day long.
 So what do I talk about today???

I know let's talk about books and their place in society. No brainer, right?
Read any good books lately?
One that pulled you out of your world and into theirs?

Isn't that what being a writer is all about. How many of you get lost in the novel written world while writing? Come on, don't be bashful. Raise that hand. A little higher, and higher. Ah, there you are in the back of the room.

I took my daughter to see the second Harry Potter finale. The total cost for two-tickets, popcorn, drinks equaled $35 for a one time enjoyed event. Was it worth it? Yes, but think if you could experience the 3-D in words in a book you could read over and over again experiencing the whole thing from beginning to end for less. That's what books do for me.

The first books I ever read were the Dr. Seuss, of course. I believe it was "Are You My Mother."Then in school, it was Dick, Jane and Spot. Later, it was Treasure Island, The Hobbit, and a long list of other titles. All right so I grew up in the dark ages when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. I remember living in countries that DIDN'T have television and you know what, I didn't miss it. Books were and are my world. Nancy Drew always caught the bad guy. The Bobbsey Twins were always getting into some trouble. But it was entertainment. It was a world outside my own.

I remember the sheer joy of reading a good book. Being transported off to the pirate's island, middle earth, or wherever. With the advent of e-readers, it is possible to carry tons of books in a purse. So why aren't more people reading?

The electronic age is to blame. Atari created a Pong and Space Invaders video game and now it's X-Box. Books are way cheaper. The argument of today's generation is getting more active so what did they invent? WII and X-Box Kinects. We have a generation of kids who are so sedentary that obesity has reached astronomical proportions. Kids who would rather play video games, or watch television, or live on computers than actually live. Now, I'm not knocking any of these things. I do all of them, but where is the rationale and the mindset?

When I watch television, I admire the graphics, the storytelling, and a host of other things. I marvel at the ingenuity of the programmers for video games and the graphics...we've come a long way since Pong. Computers, which were once a way to work and increase productivity, have now become entertainment and socialization neccessity for the masses. Instead of going out and meeting, talking, and actually visiting friends- we have virtual friends. How many people know who their neighbors are? When was the last time you actually physically visited one of them? We've become a world of instant messengers, emails, and text messages.

neigh·bor
   noun
1. a person who lives near another.

Oh great now I've got Mr. Rogers singing that song in my head!

I've read that most people will buy a book on recommendation from someone they know. But do we really know all those people we tweet to? Or FaceBook chat with?  Or a long list of sites we frequent on the internet? I've had "Friends" on the internet for thirty years. Some I've actually met in person while others I wouldn't know unless they introduced themselves to me in person. How far can you trust a recommendation from a person you can't look in the eyes, read their body language, or sit with you when things have hit the fan? They could really be an ax murderer in disguise. Maybe I'm just too old fashioned for my own good, but that's my two cents or maybe a dime with inflation.

Keep writing and loving the Lord.