I have family members who never, never, never read. As a writer, this distresses me. But it’s a very widespread phenomenon.
Having achieved just about universal literacy, civilization proceeds to throw it away! Voila! The wisdom of centuries–gone! Just like in The Time Machine:
I pray that’s not our future. I can write books, but I can’t get anyone to read.
Call me partial as a writer, but I find it appalling that reading has fallen by the wayside. Especially now that we have access to so much material. Of course the public schools can be blamed for a lot of that, and the only time reading is even brought up nowadays is if it’s delivered as porn or read by drag queens.
As soon as I saw the still I knew without reading the title where it was from. That scene/idea distresses me (and ideas like Fahrenheit 451) of all the knowledge being lost, so much so that I put the topic in one my earlier novel set during a post-apocalypse period. As much as I’ve made peace with ebooks, I know there really no substitute since electronic versions can be altered on the fly, and I still maintain a considerable library that I hope will not simply be discarded once I’m gone. I realize more and more how I am blessed every day, especially by my family, responsible for instilling that love of reading. Out of my parents and siblings, only one sister wasn’t a reader of anything beyond pop magazines during her teenage years, but when she had kids of her own she realized its importance and encouraged her children.
May mother and my grandparents had great shelves full of books: you could hardly avoid growing up to be a reader–although I daren’t say more about that.
If it weren’t for reading, I would have nothing to do now. I have loved reading since I was a toddler and my love for it has only grown greatly to this day It is so sad to see how much is lost if people don’t read.
The loss to the whole human race is lamentable. Even more lamentable that so very few appreciate it as a loss.
One day teaching sub teaching in our dominantly minority high school, one student of color told me vehemently that he does not read and no one can make him. Yes, they will let this young adult graduate. No wonder that school gets a D-, whereas on the other side of town that is dominantly Caucasian gets an A. Do you think family life and culture might have something to do with this?
Very much so.
That is truly tragic. Reading is one of the best tools we have for bettering ourselves.
Booker T. Washington is turning over in his grave.
Agreed. Booker T. Washington was an inspiration to me, and many others. I wonder if his name is even mentioned in the schools, these days.