The Buzzard Gets Pragmatic about The Loss of Reading and Writing Skills
I was listening to Laura Ingraham she started bemoaning about how the basic skills of reading and writing were diminishing. In our high tech high speed world the idea of reading an unillustrated body of text that took time in its composition is getting further and further removed from the minds of Americans. To a greater extent the composing of a formal piece of writing is removed further and further from the every day expierences of human beings. Sadly the effects on American society are slowly being felt and they are not positive effects.
The act of reading demands a greater focus of attention and slowing of thought to a much more deliberate thought. A good reader can creates an a mental movie from the book. The process that a reader of a good book goes through is the same process in many ways that a good hiker goes through that leads them to become in tune with their surroundings. The slowing down is not without its rewards. Being the wilderness one realizes at once how small man is. His negative impact can be big....for instance the conversion of the Texas hillcountry from a grassland to a woodland. Also walks along Quinlean Creek reveal the problem of improper sewage systems. Despite this one can see hints of beauty diminished also to the seasoned hiker one can see how Quinlean Creek can return to beauty. The scene of a magnificent dome of stars above you away from a major city if one has the reading mindset it is the reminder of God's great glory. It is not cyber it real. When engrossed in the book there are potential details and data that when converted first to information later to knowledge have the potential to make that final jump to wisdom(note the link is embeded to Clifferd Stoll's home page).
The web can be useful. I am a part of writers forums which I do not have to burn gasoline to arrive at. The feedback I get on them is from a variety of voices and already their impact has been felt in the modifications of two compositions I have posted: Solo ERV Kerrville. , Pacific Flight two Points of View . I got feed back which helped me modify and adjust them for a mainstream appeal. Many photography forums allow far more images to be placed before the viewer then otherwise would have been availible. There is a whole lot of low grade stuff on the web but the presence of high grade material such as music videos, plane pictures, or discussion shows all that is on the web is not evil. Yet some of the web drawbacks speak for themselves.
The text message is quick stattactto slang. It is short hand to transfer an impulsive idea. This is far from formal writing. The more formally constructed essay is a journey of sorts. The writer takes you on a journey they know the destination of not you. Through words and organization ideas are conveyed. In a short Story inspired by a Marty Robbins song there is heavy graphic detail! I wanted to create an image of the Texas Hillcountry in before its woodland era. The constructions are purposeful. They say SLOW DOWN! The detail also was added with historic accuracy. The creation of any piece of formal writing whether it be a personal letter, essay, short story, speech, research paper or even a novel inolves a deliberate plan. Good writers strategize how their words will impact the reader. Each word selection is a choice. Words can inflame words can sooth. The more practice a writer has the great control that writer has over the language.
Ok so a good reader slows down and can process information differently....SO STINKIN WHAT? So a good writer handles the language with an end in mind...what impact does that have? The ability to take information and to create a mental model of it is a nifty skill for a military man, a business man to have. What does a well written essay or short story indicate? Show me the person who can write clearly and I will show you the person who can think clearly. Yes sometimes it takes time to bang out a good essay. Like any skill though speed increases with practice! An active reader and an active writer is the kind of person I want in a position of authority whether it be in the military realm where life and death decisions are made or in the business world.