I'll Take Mine Black, Thank You!

 READ...JUST READ!!!

Maybe I'm a little biased because I'm a writer. But, I've got to say it drives me insane the amount of people I know and hear about who don't read. To clarify, they can read, but elect not to. Reading was something we practically competed at when we were coming up. Remember? Nobody wanted to be that kid who couldn't read. 

These are the go-tos that I hear: "I don't really read." That's it. Straight up and down. A completely transparent account. Ok, fair enough. Another; "I can't seem to find the time." Yet, this Cat streams all day, every day, four shows per week. No time? Really? This one is an old favorite, and one I was fed a ton when I first began publishing books. "I had to read a ton in college and it really burnt me out."

Aaaaaaand I was born yesterday at three in the afternoon. You've got to be kidding. Dude, you were doing keg stands, hitting the strip joints, frat parties, getting high and drunk tailgating and chasing chicks twenty-four sev. Reading non-stop, were ya? And even if you were—four years of reading and you're hanging up the bifocals? Four years of reading and piss all for the next 40 years? Come on man.

I figured it out. I have a theory which is soon to be proven factual. It's technology and comfort meets laziness. 

Dig this...

We are now attached to our phones. Stimulus on this device comes at us at two-hundred miles an hour (let's say). Our brains have adapted. We can scroll, download, share, slide, upload, consume, cut and paste, and so much more, and...very quickly. Thus, the 2025 brain now runs at two-hundred mph. When it comes to grabbing a book, sitting in that comfy chair and reading, we have to slow...it...down. The stimulus comes at the speed our eyes move line by line. No problem, except we're out of book-reading-shape and our brain still needs to comprehend the material. We need to slow that roll, brother and digest.

The over-stimulated, hemi-engine running, brain wants to get it going. This brain want's to rock. "Why aren't we watching two shows and texting?" the brain wonders. Next thing you know, the body gets up from the comfy chair and; does laundry, grabs a snack from the fridge, puts the kettle on...takes the kettle off, grabs a beer instead, and finally...checks the phone. Book reading...done. Number of pages read—sweet fu&$ all.

Once again, mister "I don't really read" continues not really reading. Ah, the shame of it all. We've given away a thing of beauty—reading. There ain't much better than taking in a story through a book. Once the brain truly settles into the sweet pace, she can really let the imagination fly. Visualization is off the charts. She can paint the picture as opposed to ingesting and digesting the fast moving images fed via tech. 

What I feared would happen has happened. Reading is down for the first time in decades. Ya see, the industry always feared this day was coming and cried the sky was falling, years ago. But ebooks saved the day. Some wanted the real thing, while others wanted digital. Still, books were purchased. Then audiobooks came along. Paperbacks held. Ebooks dipped, then recovered and audio began to rise. An audiobook purchased is still a book written by an author, so sales maintained.

Today, book sales have dipped due to increased streaming material and lack of interest in book reading...because the new 2025 brain can't hang at the slow pace.  Reading takes too long and leads to the fear of missing out (FOMO). Attention spans are shrinking. I'm not saying everyone has ADHD, but if attention spans were a fiscal budget, we'd be in a serious deficit.

Come on back people. Slow down. Chill. Fire up the imagination. And read...just read.