For the Love of Books

Books; are they becoming obsolete? Has the Age of Information snuffed out turning pages by the light of the midnight oil? Are we becoming so connected to our machines we no longer treasure the feel of the pages between our fingers?

As a Generation Xer, books have always been a part of my life. I remember turning pages by flashlight under the blankets well after lights out. My books were my haven away from the difficulties of the daily life I led. I would escape into worlds where everyone was beautiful, everyone was rich, everyone had every wonderful thing possible. Beautiful women were loved by handsome men and lived happily everafter.

There's just something about curling up in bed, lying under the shade of a tree in the park, or sitting in a favorite chair with a a good book. The stress of the day seems to melt away. The problems in the office seem to be as far and away as the characters in the book.

It's exciting to be in the transition period of the world of publishing, yet there seems to be a melancholy feel to the whole thing. What will happen to the great libraries of the world which house the countless numbers of pages written by innumerable authors? Will they become museums of the written word? Will we need special passes and substantial amounts of money to see what was once known as a book?

I'm a book collector. I have a rather large collection of books that I keep for my own pleasure. When I am old and ancient in my years, I will bring out each book, run my fingers gingerly over the binding and the pages remembering the days when a book was as common as the pen.