Times Are A Changin'

It hurts my heart to see Border book store closing. Saturday, during an an outing, we saw two folks standing along the entrance to the shopping center holding 7 ft. tall 50% off signs for this establishment. Mercy me, I never thought I'd see the day. Times they sure are changing. Things that were once the cat's meow are now near fossils...and it's sad.

It makes me feel old too. Pray tell, are the days of strolling the plaza, purchasing that fizzy cold Coke or piping hot coffee, and then heading to the bookstore to peruse the shelves with your head tilted awkwardly to the right, nearly over? And what about quietly sitting in overstuffed chairs with a stack of titles in your lap while your little one(s) sift through the children's section.

It's so relaxing to pick up a book, study the front title and picture, then flip it over to read the back cover and get a glimpse into its contents. I'm an eclectic reader too. I switch authors and genres with each new book. Sometimes fiction, other times non, it's all up to me and wherever my mood leads. That's why books are simply wonderful. The choice is yours and virtually endless, but books as we know them are amidst drastic transformation.

One negative impact that's hurt book stores is the emergence of electronic books, such as the iPad and Kindle. I don't have either yet but I hear they are the new cat's meow. I console myself for not having one by focusing on the fact my books never run out of batteries. Yes, they are bulky in my purse and a bit heavy depending on the read, but they only require the energy it takes for me to turn the page, yet another reason why I love books, the smell, look, and feel of bound paper drizzled with ink. Yum.

I may not yet have a new fangled iPad or Kindle thingamajig, but I've contributed to their cause just the same, for my book Freedom, Healing for Parents of Disabled Children, is now on cyberspace's electronic shelf. No more cocking your head sideways as you snake along shelves; in fact, you don't have to go any further than the keyboard of your computer. A brisk click of the mouse downloads the entire book in two shakes of a lambs tail, or so I'm told. The speed and ease is truly amazing, and there's one other perk too, electronic books cost less than precious paper and ink. Now that's a good thing.

Give Freedom a visit and better yet, if you per chance know a family member or friend who would benefit from this resource, send them my way and I'll take good care of them.

Here's where to go:

Lulu.com available iPad, Kindle, and Paperback

Amazon.com available in Kindle and Paperback