I guess I must be old-fashioned at heart. As much as I love things digital, from my tablet PC to my Nikon digital camera, I still hang onto things like my 10 year old Nikon FM2T, a 35mm film camera made out of titanium. I shot a roll of film on that camera last week and the experience was wonderful. It took me a while to quit looking at the back of the camera after each exposure. I was looking for the electronic preview of the picture I had just taken. Of course on a film camera there is no electronic preview. In fact, that camera has almost nothing electronic about it. I can take a picture even in the absence of any batteries. Try to do that with your digital camera.
I'm torn really. I want the latest in the digital camera world, but I cannot foresee giving up the film world. Just the thought that the film is going to last 100 years or more is enough to keep me teetering between then and now. The convenience and eventual low cost of digital is a big factor in the success of the genre. No more cost for film or processing. Just batteries. But weigh that against the inevitable obsolecence that comes with digital. Your new camera has a useful lifespan of 18 months and will very soon be replaced by the newer, faster, more megapixel model.
I also prefer the pen to the mouse. I have this notebook, actually I have several, that I occasionally journal in - you know, write down what is floating around in my head. A few years ago I started notating details about trips we were taking. I would take notes about the restaurants, the colors, the sounds and smells of places we were visiting. Recently I went back and read some of those notes. It was really a neat experience. You know to be able to pick up a little notebook and read something without having to turn on the computer, logging on, etc. And someone will still be able to do it 100 years from now - not me.. but someone. This weblog won't be hanging around anywhere 100 years from now, in my opinion. Where is all the digital stuff going to hang out even 20 years from now. When my Bella and Ella want to read some of Poppy's stuff, where are they going to find it 20 years from now? Or 50 years from now.
A few weeks ago I was preparing a sermon for one of those rare occasions when I get to do that. I had selected the scripture reading from Galations and just for the fun of it, I picked up my Dad's old Bible that was given to me when my Mother died in 1996. My Dad died in 1959, a long, long time ago. I turned to Galations 5 and was stunned to see my Dad's notes on the very scripture that I was going to use in my sermon. It really touched me to learn that I had picked a scripture reading, out of the blue, that he had felt was significant enough to note over 50 years ago. Nothing digital going on back then. The power of the pen to paper may be diminished but not forgotten, ever.
Enough for now, RiverDogs out.
6:43:52 AM 
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