TV in your mind
By ElicBxn
@ElicBxn (64169)
United States
June 14, 2024 8:27pm CST
I have mentioned, a long time ago, a guy friend who just doesn't read. His excuse is he had to read so many boring books to get his associates degree.
Honestly, that just doesn't fly. I can promise you that I read way more books, some very boring, to get my Bachelors degree. And I read. Now, I don't read as many as I used to before YouTube, but I still read. While I was at my sister's at the end of May I read two books. I will say one was a very thin book. But I can't say it was the easiest read I've done lately. If you read SF you might like it. A Psalm for the Wild Built is the name. The book is about a 3/4 size and 145 pages, so, pretty small. I had picked it up some time ago, but hadn't gotten into it until I saw it referenced on the YouTube channel Tale Foundry.
But this really isn't about YouTube.
I pointed out to him that reading is just like watching television, except you do it in your brain. You people it with your own actors. Sure, the writer gives you an idea of what he thinks the people look like. But you can make your idea of "a tall, brooding, dark haired youth" into James Dean or a young Sean Connery. Or you can create your own idea, maybe even yourself...
Listening to a story, as a sighted person does really give you quite the same chance, because most of the time you could be doing something else at the same time. Oh, you know, driving or building or painting. Unless you have your eyes closed, an audio story is competing with whatever else you are doing.
Oh, believe me, I listen to audio stories and I'm doing other things at the same time. It does allow me to have more stories coming in while I'm doing the other thing. But reading, the actual picking up a document/book/whatever and having your eyes and hands busy with just the printed format, gives your brain permission to turn on the TV in your imagination.
I'm currently reading another book I picked up while visiting my sister. A book by Stan Lee (yes, that Stan Lee) and Kat Robenfeld called A Trick of Light. I think most of the actual labor of writing was done by Robenfeld, but the idea/s were Lee's. I'm 133 pages into the book. I'm not going to say I'd rank it up with others of my favorite writers, but it is good.
My friend reads comics, he really doesn't have a problem reading. His parents, however, didn't prioritize reading, which is one part of his problem.
So, my question, brought on by my friend's lack of reading is: Do you see the story like a program? I may not see it exactly while I'm reading the paper, but my memories supply it later.
I can't remember the name of the book, but I keep replaying the visual of the 'hero' of the story kneading bread at the end. He no longer has to do it like he had at the beginning of the story, but he is doing it because he finds it 'relaxing.'
4 people like this
6 responses
@BarBaraPrz (51811)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
15 Jun 24
Oh yes, I love to read. I'm on my 83rd book of the year. And as you say, the pictures run through my mind.
2 people like this
@BearArtistLady (6029)
• United States
15 Jun 24
I have always adored reading. I have bookshelves full of books, and a lot of them are instructional books. My Mom was in awe when she was alive because whenever something needed to be fixed, I would go to one of the repair manuals and study how to fix the item and would fix it and it would work perfectly. That is one thing you can't get from a comic book. I also read science fiction and mysteries too. My neighbors are in awe at how much I read, and how many books I come home with.
I feel bad for people who don't read, they miss out on a lot of entertainment and sources of learning. I taught myself how to design and make teddy bears and other custom-made stuffed artist animals, how to make custom clothing for myself, I supported my daughter and myself by doing alterations and mending and more. All learned from reading. Your friend is missing out on a lot of not only entertainment but also learning and the possibility for advancement in life by limiting himself to comic books. He doesn't need to eliminate them completely, but intersperse them with other reading material.
2 people like this
@zhangxueying (3362)
• China
15 Jun 24
My reading volume is very low, but I think people with reading habits are good, but I always can't calm down to read. I often watch short videos, but they don't make me remember those contents deeply
1 person likes this
@Ghostlady (2356)
• United States
15 Jun 24
Growing up I read so many books. Mostly Nancy Drew. In the summer when I visited my aunt, they had a competition at the loacl library and if you filled up the sheet you won..for the life of me can't remember what it was you could win. But I read 28 books that summer. A lot of Historical History books about Presidents, Ernie Pyle, Sacajawae. Got into remance books for a while, but only liked the ones about pirates, castles, and Ireland. In Mexico I didn't have TV, so I read every book we had...mostly How To Books, and The Bible..3x. Then back in the USA again with TV, working and all only read a few now and then..then the computer came around. I guess the most interesting book I have read since computers was Atlas Shrugged..made me go back and read 1984 and Fahrenheit451.
A customer left a book in my taxi years ago called QBVII..really good book...Leon Uris..I remember reading Exodus back in High School..it is weird how Hollywood changes how books are written when making a movie. I saw the movie Exodus, then read the book..could not believe the changes. Same thing with Atlas Shrugged, but they really kept it on track..LOL
Your post reminded me to renew my Library card..Thank You.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
15 Jun 24
I also read a lot of Nancy Drew books. My dad, some how found about 30 second generation Nancy Drew books. I later found a few first generation books. The books being published when I was young (50s and early 60s) I would consider third generation. Lord only knows what generation they are on now. There was a lot more in the first gen stories, but there was also a lot more casual racism. I managed to find and read a first gen, second gen and third gen of one single story. There was a lot lost of the original story, some needed to be lost, but the whole plot seemed to be different by the third gen.
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
15 Jun 24
@Ghostlady Yes... of course Carolyn Keene was never a real person so... the first gen were apparently in the 1930s. I don't believe it, but I can be wrong. I think my copies were from that time, but they could've been later, not too much later because I knew the yellow covers were out when I was a kid and the ones Dad got had previously had dust jackets, most were gone before I got them, think I had two in poor shape. Do I know where they are now? No... maybe in a shed...? Maybe gone...
Now, the main reason the books were updated were because they were trying to be relevant to the girls of the reader's age. i.e. - there were no cell phones when the stories were originally written... Nancy had a 'roadster' and her friends were called 'chums.' Those besties were cousins, Betsy - very feminine and often afraid and George - very tomboy and up for just about anything Nancy wanted to do. It has literally been about 50 years since I read one of the books, so I know I have no idea what has been changed, but I'd almost expect to see George maybe being bi, or gay... maybe... Do I want to read one and find out? no... a few years ago I discovered I had lost all tolerance for people doing stupid things in the name of continuing the plot. Even kids, who really do often do stupid things.
1 person likes this
@Ghostlady (2356)
• United States
15 Jun 24
@ElicBxn Wow, they actually DID that? Same Book, but rewrote it? We really ARE living 1984..Might have been why that book was written, the author saw how books were being rewritten. JMO. Never knew there were different generations...now I am going to have to research that.
1 person likes this









