Raining in Rochester

Raining again and the theatre owner is delighted. It seems that a nice day with good Rochester weather causes people to seek outside entertainment choices rather than the dry confines of a theatre. We should do well tonight.
I am finally figuring out this space and am glad that I have had the time to make that adjustment. Taking no personal credit for the creation or execution, this show still has an amazing affect on the audience. It is my good pleasure to be the observer to what is happening in the theatre, and enjoy it as well. It is an out of body experience to a large degree. An old friend is coming with his family tonight and he has never seen the show. I am delighted that I will be able to present it to his clan.
On the funny side, I got an email from my friend Mary Willard. She is my neighbor and keeper of Fred Willard her husband. It is the 11th commandment:

Subject: Gospel for Arnold of California: Eleventh Commandment

Thou shalt not share...thy rod with thy staff.

Thank you Mary. It is the laugh of the day if not the entire week.

I have not used my Ipad for reading much. It has been an internet tool and drawing platform mostly. However, my good friend Robert Dixon sent me a wonderful book thinking I would like it. He knows me too well. It has been a revelation to me. I find that I can not put it down unless to digest a complicated idea it suggests.
First of all reading "kindle" style is not the visceral experience that some readers enjoy. Some like the process of turning a page and holding the volume in their hands. On the other side my sister believes that her kindle has transformed her life. As an avid reader she has access to the greatest library in the world at a moments notice, and can concentrate on the words themselves without the cumbersome nature of a physical book.
I have found this to be a distinct advantage for my dyslexia. The least amount of energy spent on the actual process of reading the better I can concentrate on decoding the words. Dyslexia and AADD can sometimes lead me away from what I am reading into the contemplation of how paper is made by merely the feel I get from turning a page. I can drift into a reconstruction of Newton's life from holding weight of a book. And the comparison of the number of pages I have read compared to the chapters left to read is sometimes discouraging for a slow reader. These attention magnets have been minimized by this new form of electronic literary delivery.
I am not advocating the elimination of printed books. For readers who are more mentally limber and able to concentrate more effectively like my son, the physical book is a cherished item. He loves to see them on his shelf and recall the experience of reading them. For me unless I have been extremely motivated to digest a book it is just a dust catcher in my life.
Thanks Dix. You have opened up for me a whole new world locked in my Ipad. You are a Mac evangelist, techno wizard and good friend. I am glad you "don't do windows"
Rainy day in Rochester.... good day to lite up a good book and contemplate the ideas. Perhaps I will attend a good show in the evening and enjoy my experience.
As you were,
Jay