Paradox is defined as "one (as a person, situation, or action) having seemingly contradictory qualities or phases" and juxtaposition is defined as "the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side." Therefore, paradoxical juxtaposition is the act or an instance of placing two or more seemingly contradictory things side by side.
Welcome to my world.
My husband Larry and I were married by a rabbi and a Presbyterian minister, standing together under a chuppah in a chapel. At the reception Larry began his toast by talking about mixed marriages and how many people think they can't work. He ended by saying that he and I are living proof that a relationship between a Cubs fan and White Sox fan can work and does work. We've also found that a marriage works between a democrat and a republican; a conservative and a liberal; a north suburban Chicagoan and a northwest Indianan; a soap opera fan and a wrestling fan...
I've spent the last 24 years (since I was 6) working with or for nonprofits, helping them find effective ways to use software -- seemingly a most impersonal tool -- to make them more effective at raising money, a very personal process. I find that many people think of me as something of a geek, and that's probably true, although I do not converse in techno-speak.
Because I "get" software, it's generally assumed that I like all things technical, and it's true that I'm intrigued by new toys. Most recently, I have been looking at the Kindle. This is a product being sold by Amazon.com. It's a wireless device that allows you to instantly download books, newspapers or magazines into the device. It never has to be connected to a computer -- apparently the technology is like that of a cellular phone. Once the text is downloaded into the Kindle, you can read it.
I read a number of reviews of the Kindle and every one talked about how easy it is to read the "pages", how the screen is lit in a way that does not produce glare, even when used outside in the sunlight. I believe it holds about 200 books. It's about the size of a paperback book and is very lightweight.
The Kindle has become my latest technical obsession.
When I travel, I usually take 3-6 books with me. This is kind of a pain, particularly on a plane when I finish one book and need to select another one. They add weight to the luggage, take up space, etc. So a Kindle would be great, since I could have all my reading material in it.
Between Larry and I, there are probably well over 1000 books in our house. And they are pretty much all over the house. There are books in every room in our house, including the kitchen. With the Kindle, you buy the book texts from Amazon and they get downloaded to the device. Even if you remove a book from the device, Amazon maintains your "library" so you can download a book you've purchased at any time -- forever. Of course I understand that I would not have a way to get all my existing books into a Kindle library unless I bought them again, but at least this could stop the madness.
I'm presuming that I could buy new books as soon as they come out in hardcover without having to pay as much as a newly-released hardcover book would cost. There are a few authors that I like a lot and I always pre-order their new releases.
This device could save me money, help me avoid more clutter in my home, get me new books faster, and of course it would be a very cool thing to have and play with. So why, you ask, do I not already have one?
I learned to read when I was three. From the time I could read "Sad Mrs. Sam Sack" (She was sad because she had 10 children and a husband and they lived in a small house. Every night she went to bed sad. She went to see a wise man and he had her bring lots of animals into her house; first 10 rabbits, then 10 cats and 10 dogs, etc. Finally one night she went to bed sad but got up MAD. The next day she kicked all the extra animals out and the house seemed much bigger.) I have luxuriated in books the way other people luxuriate in a bubble bath or some other indulgence.
Somehow I feel that part of the experience is actually holding the book: turning the pages, going back and rereading something particularly interesting or beautiful, truly getting lost in a book. It's hard for me to imagine that the Kindle would provide the same experience.
It's also possible that the $350 price tag has something to do with my hesitation.
Still, despite all this, I will likely have a Kindle before the year is out. I will buy it for the convenience, portability and the fact that it's a cool new toy to have. It will live in the house, next to my well-worn copies of To Kill a Mockingbird, Gone With The Wind, all of Shakespeare's works, all of Agatha Christie's novels and short stories, all the Harry Potter books, my Civil War books, the Wizard of Oz books that were my mother's when she was a girl and are now mine, and many more.
I love a good paradox.
