In this chapter, I play with the idea of what is ‘worth keeping’ and what isn’t. The notion that in the future handwriting will no longer be taught, does seem likely. I personally think the earlier children move onto working with a PC at school the better.
Being able to spell is overrated. It should not be allowed to hinder a child’s growth. I had a tough time at school because of it. If I wanted to express myself it was always downgraded because I got the letters in the wrong order. Today MS Word helps me. Thank you.
Why do we have such a great invention if we are not going to use it to its fullest, especially in the field of education?
Naturally, I would love to hear a few other opinions, or experiences. They might help my own opinion grow.
This fear of losing culture is a growing theme, due to the globalization the internet is causing. Things seem to be changing so fast. The word seem is very appropriate at this point because the truth is my son doesn’t think the same. In the past, I didn’t think things were changing so fast when CDs were invented, my parents did. And yet, my parents probably didn’t think things were changing so fast when the TV was invented, but their parents did… this can be traced all the way back to the cave living generation. (smile)
Back to the chapter.
I use the idea of having handwriting extinct to actually promote what I think would be a really nice idea: books to be like paintings. By giving a book a true limited edition, not a first edition but a numbered one, where-after only the eBook would be available, would not only be environmentally helpful but would give authors (and illustrators) more respect for their work.
I am also playing with ideas and words in this chapter. (Or cliches – such as a painting can say a thousand words. So how many paintings can be found within a thousand words?) Another thing is I sometimes enjoy my own close detail, such as how the pen is a left-handed one. An unusual comment, as today most pens are both, left and right, and how George holds it. For this, I borrowed a moment from teaching in the kindergarten. I had to look up the correct term for it on the internet. Today, it seems we have terms for everything. Just recently, I accidentally came across this video of George Carlin on soft language.
It made me smile. And I realized I’m not alone with my ideas of how absurd we are at times.
The final point I play with in this chapter is our concept of love. This word seems to be thrown about a lot – used at will. Of course, I am no authority on it, having failed to find it in my own lifetime, but I do see other people with it.
Now, I consider it the greatest achievement of all – to spend all your life with one person, to love them through all phases of life, good, bad, young, and old, in fact everything you promise in church, (my catholic upbringing is showing here) and then to be loved back, by that same person is fantastic. Money, fame, and power are not able to fill the space where love should be – at least in my life. Luckily, however, I don’t have any of the three, so I don’t have to worry about that special place for love being filled… (Smile)
But enough of my joking. The chapter is basically about George’s shock on finding out that he was not inside the locket, but someone else was, and how in his sorrow he realizes how alone he is, and the only person he has to talk to about this is Evylin, who he describes as ‘Emotionless and happy to kill you’.
I enjoy these tiny revelations, as life can be a bit like that. One minute you’re up, the next you’re down, looking up at all your so-called friends, who are not down with you…
