Where the Wi-Fi Lives

Where the WI-Fi Lives

by Toni Wheat, May, 2012  Sioux City IA

Can you imagine being almost forty years old, an American citizen, having gone through twelve plus years of school, and never having learned to R-E-A-D a paragraph?

This morning, on my computer, I read two new book reviews: one about Anna Quindlen's son interviewing the author about her new book, "Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake", and the other about a new book called "God's Hotel". The second review, is about the Laguna Honda Hospital in San Francisco, California and a new doctor and what she learned about the hospital, it's history and herself in her twenty years serving humanity there. The review and the preview of the book are fascinating, drawing me into the author student's discoveries and thoughts. "God's Hotel" is written by Victoria Sweet. I can hardly wait to read both books.

I have the ability to read reviews and I am able, also to buy books at a bookstore or online, after a quick review, or check them out at the library. I can sit down, turn on the light, open the page, immediately gather what the prologue says, get the feel for the story, settle in for many hours of quiet enjoyment, then discuss it with other people who have read the same book. I feel gifted because my brain traces letter and word characters into silent words and sounds in the language side inside my head. My almost forty friend does not have that kind of a brain or that relationship with words and writing, or with other people who read. Most letters sequenced into words escape her understanding and are nothing but shapes and confusion on paper or community billboards, posters and signs. When ventured, most guesses are close but hardly hit the mark.

The two books that I am interested in are two that I'll also recommend to several people. I will type and send emails, with copied links to the reviews, because I can type and I know they can read what I send. The words in the reviews on http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Interview/Anna-Quindlen-An-Interview-with-Mom/ba-p/7729 and http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/The-Long-List/God-s-Hotel/ba-p/7065 connect me instantly to people who are not with me, at the moment, who live far away, but who I sense are close, when I read something I could share.

I cannot, however, send an email or gift the books to my forty year old friend who cannot read. I can talk about the reviews and show her the book covers; but such a life as hers, has not the slightest whisper of recognition from the text or subjects mentioned, and will never understand the intricate guts of these stories, from the black and white symbols, in the form presented on bound papers. There is no life reference for enjoying such books, for her, or for discussing them with friends.

When a brain doesn't get wired for reading at birth, will it ever really dance with words like a reader brought to maturity throughout twelve school years? Does she/he have to stay in the 3 to 7 year old "Read to Me" section on their Nook or Kindle or IPad?  Where are the grown up books with good illustrative pictures and photos, that aren't crap or porn, that grown up minds seek? Is anyone making interesting good books for twenties, thirties, forty year old grown-ups to read in "Read to Me" format?

I will do my best to find them. If you find some, please let me know. If they aren't out there, I will write them, and I will read them outloud, and I will make the pictures.  My first attempt to solve this issue was almost forty years ago, with a tape recorder gifted to a five year old, a library card at seven, stories with music throughout her teen years.  My newest attempt is the gift of a Christmas E-Reader, and lots of hours together at book stores where the WI-FI lives. For five days I've typed the letters, in proper sequence to form the words asked for, into the URL space in the Web Apps, on the e-reader. Yesterday, for the first time in my life, I heard the question from my friend, "How do you SPELL _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _" (the name of a movie, of course).

We've begun again. With J-O-Y.