Sales associate: You know, if you had a Nook, you could just do this online. It would be super convenient!
Me: Oh, I know. But I will never own an e-reader. I will cling to the printed page until the day that I die (Yes. I literally said this).
SA: Well…okay…I mean, IF there are still bookstores around then.
Me: (gritting my teeth) There will be.
SA: I don’t know…lots and lots of bookstores are going out of business.
Me: (a little louder than necessary) There will always be books.
SA: Well, Half-Price Books will be probably still be around.
Me: (trying not to shoot lasers into this woman’s head with my eyeballs) If it’s just me, stock-piling books in my basement, there will still be books.
SA: That’s so funny. It’s usually not the younger ones that say that – it’s usually the older people!
Me: …..
Okay. So I think she just called me an old-fashioned stick-in-the-mud fuddy-duddy. Which is fine. I mean, I’m mostly an eighty-five year-old lady trapped in the body of a twenty-four year-old. I’m aware.
But I think I’m pretty hip. Pretty with it. Pretty down with the kidz. I mean, I listen to my iPod. I use a cell phone. I have a Facebook profile and a Twitter. I have a BLOG, okay? But I just…I just can’t get behind this.
is not the same as 
Honestly, if I didn’t think one was going to try and eradicate the other, I wouldn’t be so annoyed.
I do not think ill of the many, many Nook and Kindle readers of the world. Some of you I even call my friends and my family. I do not begrudge you your life choice. You have your free downloadable classics and your lower book costs and smaller carbon footprint and compact library and chic e-Reader covers. Get on with your bad selves! Not that you needed my permission.
I’ll just be over dog-earing pages and bending book spines and writing notes in the margins. Oh, yeah, and if I spill my coffee? My book probably won’t die.
Here’s what I’m reading now. I love Ree Drummond. If I had been born with an older sister around, this is what I imagine she would be like. Her love story, though…sigh. A city girl and a rancher. So good. Oh, yeah, and I'm aware of the irony of insisting on a printed book written by a blogger.
What about you? What thing are you sad to see being replaced by new technology?
love, elizabeth
I feel exactly how you feel about the books. I have a huge bookcase filled with books... and starting on a 2nd book case in the near future... and I love how I can just pull a book and hold the book and change the pages. haha
ReplyDeleteYou are not old!! (:
wow.. this post just brought up all sorts of emotions in me (being the avid reader I am)..
ReplyDelete1) alright sales lady, do you realize you work in a BOOKSTORE... if you honestly believe bookstores will cease to exist then you may want to start looking for another job.. just a thought
2) I was given a kindle forever ago (when it first came out) and I have constantly thought to sell it because I do not like it. I tried. I really really tried for the sake of my family who got me it. I just cant do it. I need to feel my books, smell them, ruin them by spilling coffee and writing in them. I have had that kindle for so long and there are only about 5 books on it that I attempted to read. I actually read a book on my kindle that I am in love with so I preceded to go buy it in actual print.. so much for saving trees and money.
Also, this all reminds me of the book Fareheit 451 that I read in high school about books being illegal and destroyed hhaha
So cool that you are an OSU student too! What year are you? And theater sounds awesome.. I think I have imagined myself numerous times doing cool things like that but nope.. not in the cards for me haha! ♥
ps. I meant to say "Fahrenheit".. apparently I was heated when writing this haha
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I really love technology so much. But if there was one thing I'm sad about it's probably books. I love the satisfaction of flipping pages and seeing how your bookmark progresses through the book as you're reading.
ReplyDeleteCatherine
FEST
Is this girl serious? Shouldn't someone who is working at a bookstore be rooting for their survival? Weird.
ReplyDeleteI'm like you, I love my books. I have hundreds, and nothing will replace them. I also have a Kindle and I love it for its convenience and free classics but if I'm going to spend money on a book, I want something to hold on to, to pass down to my kids, to highlight and dog-ear and smell when no one is looking.
No electronic reader could ever feel/smell/feel like a book!
ReplyDeleteThe thing I'm sad to see being replaced is the regular sent through the mail letter and greeting card. I have letters from one of my friends dating back 20 years or more---nothing like looking at my dear friend's hand writing and choice of stationary....
That book is SO good! I couldn't put it down. And that sales associate is wrong! Also, does anyone else see the messed-up issue of this woman working for a bookstore and saying out loud that bookstores will close? Um, have faith in what you do, girl.
ReplyDeletehaha, I love that story! I may end up getting a kindle or something if it becomes practical for grad school, and my husband has one as it was super practical to take on deployment (can't carry around a bunch of extra weight in books). But I can't bring myself to get one for any other reason. I just love the feel and smell and satisfaction of a solid, paper book.
ReplyDeleteYeah I'm with you. I love the smell of books, I actually like sniffing them. I like bending the edges to mark where I am in the book, I like it when they are new and I love buying books, but I like it even better when they are a bit old and yellow. I like having them on my shelves, I just love books. And yes if I am reading a 700page book it's a bit heavy and uncomfortable to carry with me on the tram, but tough. Not the same with the ebooks.
ReplyDeleteSo awesome you had this conversation with her.. I read books on my iPad but honestly it's not the as reading the real actual book!!
ReplyDeleteI love holding the book it my hand...it just seems so much more..something hahaha.
ReplyDeleteI like the ease of texting and email...but I don't like it when it replaces human interaction...so I guess that bums me out a bit.
oh and ps....we are playing a little game of blog tag if you wanna play....check it out!
http://sillyswilly.blogspot.com/2012/03/tag-youre-it.html
It took me a while to figure out what I thought about this. My Dad was a paper engineer for 40 years and we were supported by him making paper.
ReplyDeleteWe were actually recently given a kindle. I am excited because there are so many classics we can get for free (thousands) that we couldn't afford to buy and with us moving cross country...it would be impossible to check out from a library this summer.
We are still buying books and probably rarely getting them on our kindle (they are often more expensive!). I like having books in my hand. Since I'm a teacher, we'll probably make age limits for our children before they can use digital readers because I want them to love reading books as a BOOK.
Sorry, this ended up being rather long.
I love the printed word, but live in a location where the nearest book store is more than a tank of gas away and I read all the books at the local library in one summer. My father got me a kindle for Christmas and its nice because of all the free classics but I read slower and feel nervous about breaking the device. I like having an e-reader and I feel like I am cheating on books, silly but true.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. I never want to own an ereader, because to me it's just admitting that there's no need to buy an actual book. Although I realize the way the world is going, at some point not owning one won't really be an option any more.
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