Technology...?

My mom just made a post the other day about not watching or having a tv. I'm always recieving surprised outcries and odd looks when I say that I don't watch tv. Let me briefly explain the way these conversations go.
The person I'm talking to mentions a show they love, and ask me if I watch it. I reply no, I don't watch tv. 'Oh,' say they, looking vaguely disappointed. This is the first wave of shock. After that, they ask what I do watch. 'Nothing,' I reply, 'I don't watch tv.' This is the second wave. They don't seem to understand that I can get enjoyment from things other than sitting in front of a tv screen. My managers at work were especially surprised when I mentioned this. I don't get it, and neither do they. The third shock comes when they ask if my family watches a lot of tv, and I say that none of us do. In fact, we don't have cable. They are speechless. I go on to say, actually, we don't have a tv. They are breathless. 'What about the news?' asked one manager. I sigh, 'We read the news paper.' I attempt to undo the unhinging of their imaginations by rectifying my statement, 'I have the only tv in the house, but it's only hooked up to a dvd player and my ps2.' The simple fact that someone in the house owns a tv seems to help them some.

People often ask what I do with all my time since I don't watch tv. I explain to them that I do have a computer that I'm on a lot (more than I should be, really...) and that I read a lot, and knit a lot (not as much of that lately, though I'm fixing that). The first thing that gets them is that I read for pleasure. A lot of people my age just don't know how to read for pleasure. Because we've grown up with televisions and video games and computers, the concept of picking up, or even buying a book when you can just watch the movie adaptation or something just throws them for a loop. I enjoy reading. I like having a book with me almost all of the time because, like a small knitting project, it eats up some free time I may have. This may sound a little strange, but one of my favorite smells in the world is the smell of an old book. That dusty, yellow-y, mouldy smell of old paper with something interesting printed on it fascinates me. Books in general fascinate me. I like them because they are portable, expand my vocabulary, and they stretch my brain. Fantasy, Science Fiction, and certain histories are my favorite genres, but I'm flexible. I like books that make me think, and sometimes I even like books that are light and fun. Books are, as I have told my friends before, my own personal other world. When I read, none of my friends really try to bother me. I'm lost.
I'm lucky enough, however, to have friends that read. Caryn reads a lot; she's into forensics and history. She gets a lot of books on famous killers. She's wants to be a forensic scientist, so that makes sense. Between the two of us, I think we have upwards of a dozen books on the history of Britain, Ireland, pirates, New Jersey, and Europe in general.
Holly reads just about anything that people suggest to her. She digests a lot of literature, and has introduced me to A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, which I have yet to finish but which is a good read. Holly's tastes are varied and interesting.
Corey is the slowest reader I have ever met. Ever. Which is okay, he reads at his own pace. At least he reads, right? He's picky about books, but he's responsible for making me read Eragon, which was pretty good.
Everyone in my family is a reader. My dad, when I was little, didn't read so much, but he does now. My mom has always read a lot. She doesn't read so much now, but she listens, which is almost as good. Elanor has always read books fast. She's on her computer a lot now, but she still reads. Emily has been busy with her life stuff, but I know she still finds time to read. And hell, she has a library in her home. I'm jealous!

Speaking of books, I've picked up a really interesting book recently called The Book of General Ignorance (Everything You Think You Know is Wrong), by John Lloyd and John Mitchinson. It's interesting. It poses questions that you may or may not think you know the answer to, and then tells you the real answer. For example:
Does the earth go around the moon, or the moon around the earth?
Both. They go around each other.
The two bodies orbit a common center of gravity located about 1,000 miles below the surface of teh earth, so the earth makes three different rotations: around its own axis, around the sun, and around this point.
Confused? Even Newton claimed thinking about the motion of the moon gave him a headache.

It's quite an interesting read.

"One day there will be a telephone in every major city in the USA."
~Alexander Graham Bell