Our story takes place in a land not too far away, and yet, almost certainly forgotten up until this point. This was a magical, wondrous dimension in which people and children alike (don't argue the difference - just accept it) read and had read to them, books. "Books?" you must be asking your computer or mobile phone (if you're really that high tech, not to mention wealthy to boot) screen, with your mouth slightly ajar as you place the final touches on the question mark that so rightfully completes your inquisition.
Well, you can shut that mouth, or trap (as some may coin it despite the various other connotations), as I do indeed mean the stacks of sheets of paper, some thick, others slim, usually encased betwixt two rather sturdy decorated cardboard pieces or otherwise one large, molded section of criminally thin card that is flimsier than most all of the birthday cards that I have ever received. Let me tell you now, the quantity would make any grown man's (or trap's) goods shrivel in disbelief. Books could include any variety of worldly, and even more interestingly, other worldly content from the front cover to the back. Author's worked themselves to the bone to
But now I ask you all - where did our passion for reading disappear to? Belonging to Generation Y, I have been in the midst of the technological advancements in the past 17 years, despite there not being terribly many in the first few. As a wee infant, I got much joy through reading books about heroes, dragons and fantastical places that would rarely even appear in my dreams. Not just this though, I also gained insight into the wonderful dimension of one's imagination. Not mine at first, but those of other people served a purpose in forming my own unoriginal lake of thoughts. Why a lake? Because I like the idea of a ripple effect.
As children, and even as adults, the books that we read tend to leave some sort of impact on all of us. It doesn't matter the age we live in, because everyone is able to get something out of a story, whether they like it or not. It induces feelings, with us feeling excited, agitated, angry or even bored stupid. I think to myself now, it was that Harry Potter series that left me bored and nothing else is to blame. I was a changed person after reading that series. I became someone I never wanted to be - a reader of Harry Potter. But what's done is done, and it has made me have a strong disliking towards women who buy themselves castles - talk about achieving the common childhood dream. I wonder if J.K. Rowling has her own tiara and everything?
Regardless of what it is that we read, there is always new material to be learnt. By learning, I do not mean the expanding of one's knowledge base, but rather the expanding of one's experiences and responses in the world. As cliche as it may indeed sound, there is something to be gained from books and it seems that we were only able to appreciate this back in the days when technology did not dominate our society. With the ever rapidly increasing introduction of new gadgets that make us all go starry-eyed, we have forgotten our faith and values in books, which has lead to our losing of touch with the arts in general. Some will argue that we now embrace the creative world from new angles through the use of computers and other various technologies, but it does not share the same heart with what we used to associate ourselves.
So let's take a moment, just a small fragment of time when it is available to us, to sit down in some place comfortable with a warming beverage and read a book or two. You might find it rather pleasant and possibly even a wholeheartedly enjoyable experience. There's no telling what wonders it could work for you. You could wind up connecting with a part of yourself that you thought had been long dead. So appreciate books for what they are, because there might come a day when technology reigns supreme, and you'll never be given another chance to read that last page.
Costumus
