Captivating ink and paper

The next time you find yourself contemplating a book, consider reaching for the printed page.
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In an age dominated by Kindles, iPads, and other digital devices, nothing can replace the simple pleasure of reading a printed book. While e-readers and tablets offer convenience, the unique joy of reading a physical book transcends mere functionality. For many avid readers, the experience of flipping through pages, the tactile sensation of paper between fingers, and the unmistakable smell of a book create an unparalleled connection to the written word.

One of the most delightful aspects of reading a physical book is its sensory richness. The moment you open a book; you are greeted by a fragrance that is difficult to describe yet instantly recognizable. The scent of ink and paper—whether it’s the crispness of a brand-new novel or the musty aroma of an old classic—evokes nostalgia and a sense of history. This olfactory experience can trigger memories of childhood reading or cozy afternoons spent with a favorite story, reinforcing the emotional ties we form with books.

Each turn of a page offers a tactile satisfaction that screens simply cannot replicate. The weight of a book in your hands, the sound of paper crinkling, and the visual delight of printed text create a physicality that enhances the reading experience. There’s a rhythm to reading a physical book: the pause as you turn a page, the anticipation of what comes next. This mindful interaction fosters a deeper engagement with the material.

I think many of you would have felt a void in your life after retirement. One of the biggest challenges I faced, after my retirement, was how to spend my time meaningfully. Morning exercises, listening to music, and spending time with friends, though brought me joy, but I found something missing in my life. Moreover, I found the programs on TV, especially the debates, uninformative and seemed to me that one was attending a boxing match rather than being informed on a topical subject.

It was then I rediscovered reading the classics that I had once enjoyed during my school and college days. I started with Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea and Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. Both books had once a profound influence on me.

The Old Man and the Sea is a poignant story of a fisherman who returns empty-handed every time he goes fishing. His apprentice, a young boy named Manolin, is pressured by his parents to leave the old man and seek a fisherman who was lucky. However, the boy refuses to abandon him. The story unfolds that for eight four days, the fisherman comes empty handed. However, on the 85th day, the old man manages to catch a fish, but the fish starts pulling the boat. The struggle to continues for two days and nights until he reels the marlin in and lashes it to his boat. the fish starts to tire. The old man is excited, believing that the marlin he has caught will fetch a good price in the market. Unfortunately, the predators are drawn to the tethered Marlin and manage to eat the fish leaving behind only the skeleton. When he arrives at the coast, people gather to see the skeletal carcass of the giant marlin amazed on the size of the fish caught by Santiago.

Viktor Frankl in his book recounts his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp. The core of Frankl’s philosophy is that a man’s deepest desire is to find meaning in his life; if he can discover that meaning, he can survive anything. Based on his observations, Frankl concludes that a person has the freedom to choose his own path in life. In any situation, a person can choose their attitude. The ability to find meaning helped Frankl to cope with suffering. He asserts that “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” The outstanding work of the author, based on his personal suffering at Auschwitz concentration camp, offers us a way to transcend suffering and significance in the “art of living.”

So, the next time you find yourself contemplating a book, consider reaching for the printed page. Embrace the smell of paper, the weight of the book in your hands, and the unique joy that comes from diving into a world crafted by ink and imagination. In doing so, you may rediscover the magic of reading that has captivated generations.

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