Delayed Appreciation

Appreciation in life for little things comes through experiencing them or by losing them. My story here is a mix of both. It has been 5 months since I was given Kindle for my birthday. I pride myself for being a bookoholic in a good sense not the book-worm kinds. I read with a penchant and a lot of focus towards the style of writing, the language, characterization,plot,moral, flow, sense, factual and real treatment in case of biographies,autobiographies and non fiction. I do this so that I can take inspiration from these writers, so that my experience as a reader and an amateur writer gets enriched.

This piece of writing, however, is not about the favorite books or how a book is written but about how a book is read and how I overcame my reluctance of accepting change. So like I mentioned, I had the kindle but I was disdainful when I was gifted it and I slightly cursed the friend inside, for giving it to me. A mild displeasure and chastising my friend for not asking me what I wanted and  instead spending money on a gift I would not use. How wrong was I in my complacency about my own willpower.

I did not bother putting any books in it. 'Oh it costs money to put books in it? whats the use? It is so much more expensive than buying a nice book and reading it like a book should be read!' My sentiments stem from a deep dislike for technology. Yes I work on computers,machines day in and day out but as an old school yet young female(yes I am still young as opposed to the grandmother-y feeling of me that you are getting from reading this ) , I like to run away from it when I need to relax. I would any day run outside than on a treadmill or read a book instead of watching tv, provided I have a good book in my hand. So using kindle instead of a book felt blasphemous. How could I not feel the rustle of the pages, painful yet prided paper cuts,smell of the old books?? How would I then be able to use bookmarks that I make from combs to tissue papers to clothes I am wearing, hand kerchiefs, pens,tooth picks, my own hand in the case of being unable to fight sleep? (I didnt wanna lose track of the page at any cost while reading HP-Sirius Black's death scene). All these and many other reasons. Sentimental and foolish ones. I am usually one of the last people on this planet to get introduced to different technological advancements. I learnt how to use a computer last, as compared to my contemporaries, seniors and juniors and even my little brother. You would ask what about a camera? I would say yes.
You would say what about facebook?
twitter?
email id??
programming languages?
gym equipment?
mixer??!!
blow-drier?
pencil with refills?
sharpener?? ( you would say ' you have got to be kidding me', I would say I kid you not. I was happy using a blade which is much more dangerous and has been a proud owner of cutting my fingers several million times but I was somehow more comfortable with it)
so on
so forth
I would save you energy and say yes to all of them above. Yup, I learnt to use them later than many other people even the dumber ones.

So kindle, how preposterous and scandalous for my nerves! Until I closed my eyes, prayed to God, cursed my friend again and started reading a book in it. Oh my my we could use portrait or landscape mode! what ?we could dim the light at night?? We can choose bigger or smaller fonts? OMG we could press on a word and dictionary would show its meaning?!! Upon discovering this last little fact I was salivating like when I do waiting for a plate of chilly chicken. Also, because I am one of those finicky people who just have to see the meaning of the word even if it requires putting the breathless story down for a moment, getting up from my lazy ass, opening the dictionary and looking it up (read OCD ) ! Yes somehow I am not lazy when I need to do this even if I groan inwardly at myself for having the urge to look the word up, right when I had nicely settled in with a good book in my hand.

Kindle, oh sweet kindle , for silly people like me who make sillier noises for the familiar rustle of pages in between their fingers, you even made your surface rustll-y and rough! I was ashamed of slowly liking this device and forgetting how much I stood up for the good old books. Then I learnt publishing houses and authors do earn from the sales of their books in such devices. Wow strike hundred and one of the worrying causes...!

So you see how actually experiencing something makes you appreciate it. I changed and I am thankful that i didnt throw away the gift or gift it to someone else or else I would have lost on reading many books which are good and require you to go to a library or a book store to buy them. Sometimes I am too lazy to do that so I used to postpone buying them, but now I can buy them right from my room.

I know I know you would say 'you wretched sell out!!' But I shall gladly take the asides and keep reading my books on the kindle because no matter how much I try to hide it, I DO LIKE to read my books on it. There I said it! Phew! Quit bothering me, you!yes you, my foolish conscience :-)

Disclaimer: Its not an article to advertise Kindle. I use it here for the lack of knowledge of other reading devices. If you use any other, do not launch an attack over the companies and their policies. If you do not use any device, I suggest you do first and then attack me!