Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Why I hate the Kindle


The other evening Mr. Maurice turned the channel to "Star Trek, the Next Generation" and we had a good laugh at how antiquated all of the equipment was.  Their little hip-computer-thingies looked like oversized Gameboys and the flat screen computer monitors were oh-so-thick.  Did the writers really think that we weren't yet on the fast track to smaller, faster equipment in the early '90s?

There was one scene in which Captain Picard was reading a book on... gasp... a Kindle!  Seriously!  I get that in the future our society will be so environmentally friendly that we wouldn't dare kill trees for reasons such as manufacturing books.  It is a logical hope, but doesn't that take away from the overall reading experience?  In this case, for me, reading would fall into one of two categories:

1) It's been a long week.  Your two-year-old has been undulating through series of curling up in your lap and stroking your hair and ten minutes later shrieking and crumbling to the floor at the very sound of your voice.  All. Week. Long. You've had a line of carpet cleaners, exterminators and cable guys trapsing through the house all week, doubling the amount of times the rug has needed vacuuming.  If you look at your inbox one more time you may swear off all communication with the outside world.  You've also had 1800 parties and events to go to because everyone in town feels the need to throw their parties at the same damn time.  Saturday morning, your darling husband offers to take your adorable imp to the park, so you prepare a cup of tea, cuddle under a blanket and lazily drift into the pages of a book.  The smell of the pages mingle with the aroma of the tea and you feel as though you are being hugged the entire time that you are on that sofa.  Relaxation ensues.

2) It's been a long week.  Your two-year-old has decided that not even candy is worth sitting on that potty.  Your mother has been calling you every five minutes with the details of her latest country club drama (would you believe who had too much gin and was caught regurgitating in the bushes... again?).  The lawn guy managed to kill your supposedly unkillable jasmine, which was your favorite plant on the patio.  Your inbox is full of questions you don't know how to answer.  The power steering hose on your car exploded in the garage, you have no idea how to clean up the mess and the thought of the ensuing maintenance bill has you wondering if you will want the car back.  Your lovely spouse has agreed to whisk your precocious boy off to the zoo.  You make a cup of tea, cuddle up under that blanket, and start reading your Kindle... and your thoughts periodically drift to your unanswered emails and what else might be up on the computer across the room.

I like scenario #1 much better.  The last thing I want to be looking at is yet another screen.  I've spent the week typing, watching the news, watching yet another episode of Thomas the Tank Engine, checking my iPhone, etc. etc. etc.

Environmentally friendly, yes.  But have we reached a point in our lives where everything we do has to be so technologically involved?

2 comments:

  1. 2 year-olds seem a little unstable. My girl is calm and happy and then 2 seconds later, she's tantruming like crazy.

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  2. Love this - and totally agree about Kindle.

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