Probably The Most Random Post You've Ever Read

As I was perusing my local library’s web site for books and happily clicking hold buttons, I had an old memory surface from the deep dark recesses of my mind. Remember when you had to write your name on an index card to check out a book? Looking at that card, you could see who checked out the book before you. How cool was it if you got to write your name below the name of the cute boy you secretly liked? It was magical. It was fate. It was DESTINY. I’m pretty sure that in some countries it means you’re married or something. Well, that and maybe there has to be an exchange of a goat or two.

Technology has changed a lot of things at the library. Remember those big wooden card catalogs? Gone. Remember all the time spent in 3rd grade learning the Dewey Decimal system? What a freaking waste of time. We could have used that valuable time to learn more New Math, or the metric system. Thanks a lot President Ford. (Those of you who are also children of the 70’s know what I’m talking about) Now when I want a book, I click the hold button on the library web site and they call me when my books are ready. I walk in the library, go to the desk and they hand me my books. I don’t even have to look at the shelves anymore. Pretty sweet. But I do kinda miss the magic of the index cards.

Technology has also changed the way we read and purchase books. In March, I got a Kindle 2 for my birthday and to date I have 115 books on it. When I say I have a Kindle, some people react like I have sacrificed my soul on the altar of Amazon and make the sign of the cross to ward off the evil oozing from my pores. I don’t care. They can bite me. I love my Kindle. I want to marry it and have its babies. I saw a tweet yesterday that said “Kindle is coming to the UK, for the better or for the worst.” Really? For the worst? How could it be for the worst? Look, nobody’s gonna force you to buy a Kindle. If you don’t want it, don’t buy it. But maybe some people in the UK would like to buy a Kindle, so now they can. What’s the big deal? Is there some underlying evil I’m missing?

Sure, there are some things that bother me, like why oh why can’t I get Julie Garwood’s backlist of medievals on the Kindle. Judith McNaught’s A Kingdom of Dreams? Not on Kindle. The major T-Pain in my ass right now? Some publishers *coughStMartinscough* are charging $7.99 for a Mass Market Paperback and then charge me $9.99 for the Kindle version. See, here's the deal pubs, if I shell out money for an e-reader, chances are I spend money and read books. Yeah. Go figure. In fact, people who buy e-reading devices are probably your best customers. In these tough ecomomic times, do you really want to piss off your best customers? Publishers, please don’t turn our relationship into a manipulationship. Manipulationships are ugly because both parties can engage. I could make a list of all the pubs that do this. Maybe I’ll call it “Kindlers List.” People would read that list publishers, oh yes they would, and then they would get all angryfied and boycotty. Because that’s what people do when they feel like they’re getting the shaft. Or maybe not. Maybe they’ll just go to the library. So straighten up, fly right and make it fair.

For the most part, I’m loving my Kindle. I have 115 books I don’t have collecting dust on my book shelves and I can carry around those 115 books everywhere I go. I’ve downloaded free e-books and found a lot of new authors that I probably would never have read otherwise and I’ve bought their backlist or their new releases because of it. This has come in very handy these past 4 months.

My mom was diagnosed with cancer in May and the last 4 months have been one hellish hospital stay after another and lots of my time spent traveling from Missouri to Illinois to Texas and back. My Kindle has been a godsend. I can buy and read books while sitting in the airports and hospital rooms. My mom is a big reader as well and I credit her with instilling in me my love of reading aka my addiction. She encouraged me to read at a very young age by reading to me, showing me that reading was important and enjoyable by having a book in her hands almost everyday and by introducing me to the library. Love you mom! :)

Before I leave to go stay with her, I download samples of books I think she may like and hasn’t read yet. I let her read the samples and choose the book she wants to read and buy it right then and there without having to leave the hospital. So convenient! More often than not, we turn on the Text To Speech feature and we, as well as the other cancer patients in the room, listen to the books. (Sshhhhhh. Don’t tell the Authors Guild) I can’t tell you how much this has helped her frame of mind. It gives us all something to think about and talk about besides pain, surgeries and cancer.

So eff off e-book and e-reader haters. I love my Kindle and I’m not sorry. (Pssst, Kindle, I’ll be the big spoon tonight.)

P.S. While I was tripping down memory lane, I thought of a few more obsolete things. Remember these?

Skate keys that you wore on a string around your neck.
The Frito Bandito
TV’s that took about 5 minutes to warm up
A-bomb safety drills at school
Crissy dolls that grew longer hair when you pushed a button on their head.
Laundry detergent that came with free glasses or dishes in the box.
Milk came in glass bottles with cardboard tops
The egg lady would deliver TO YOUR HOUSE a dozen fresh eggs for 45 cents. 50 cents for brown eggs
Romper Room (I had my very own Romper Stompers)
The soap opera Dark Shadows and the cartoon Jonny Quest used to scare the crap outa me.

Ahhhhh…the 70’s. The decade where there were no “participant trophies”, (There were only winners and if you weren’t the winner you were the LOSER so suck it up you big crybaby.) and the word “self-esteem” wasn’t even invented yet.

What are some of your favorite memories of things that no longer exist and make you feel really old when you talk about them?