A friend asked me the other day if I am planning on getting a Kindle. A Kindle is a handheld device that allows you to download books and read them electronically. Books can be purchased at roughly half the cost of printed editions. You can even elect to have the book read aloud to you.
For someone like me, who likes new things and appreciates all things sustainable (no more wasted paper), this would seem like a must-have toy. The problem is….I don’t want one.
I am a packaging guy at heart. I love book covers. I can walk around a book store for hours just reading and admiring dust jackets. They represent an essential and important part of our country’s design history.
When I was young we had these things called LP records. They came in really cool record album covers. You would listen to the record and just stare at the album cover. Album covers were cool. Now I just buy music electronically and download it to my i-pod. I don’t have to drive to the store. There is no more packaging. It certainly is a greener alternative, but I would be lying if I said I don’t miss the thrill of holding an album. There was something magical about staring at those covers.
I am certain that one day I will own a Kindle or-the-like. They are practical and efficient. One day I will get one. We’ll call that day ‘the sad day.’