Best of Both Worlds

I am one of very few people my age who owns and uses a vinyl record player. I don't have an extensive record collection but it is growing. I love the sound and vibe you get from a vinyl record. The pops and cracks are not something you will find on iTunes. When listening to music through an iPhone or iPod you lose the authenticity you get from a vinyl. But, because music is such a huge part of my life, I also listen to music on my phone. So, even though I don't get all the perks of the vinyl player I still can listen to my music. Some people probably don't like the pops and cracks of a vinyl so the mp3 world is better for them; I think it kind of depends on the type of music you listen to. Most of my records are "oldies" that I found at a thrift shop or yard sale. The music on these records was made for the record not the mp3 so it gives the authentic and natural feel when you are listening to the songs on vinyl.  I am just grateful to be able to have both vinyl and mp3 in my world.

When it comes to books, I prefer to have the hard copy of the book. There is just something about turning a page and smelling the paper of a new book. I have always loved to read and growing up I didn't have a kindle or an iPad to read books from. I do now own a kindle, but I only use it for convenience. I would rather buy a text book for class on my kindle then carry a giant book to school everyday, but when it comes to reading for pleasure I will always chose the hard copy. I think with both books and music the changes that have been made center around convenience. Say you go on vacation and forget to bring a book to read on the beach. If you have your kindle and internet connection you can easily download a book and enjoy your day reading. While on this vacation you realize your favorite artists just released their new album, rather then having to drive to the store and buy the cd you can download it straight to your phone.

In conclusion, I guess you could say I like to have the best of both worlds. I want to be able to go home and listen to my vinyl while I read an old novel that was originally my grandmas, but I also want to be able to bring my text book to class on my kindle and listen to music from my phone while I walk to class. I think that both of these types of media new and old can thrive in our world if people remember to appreciate the beauty of a vinyl record or an original print of a novel.