Our morning ritual involves shared coffee, a search answers and a cry for understanding. I simply want to listen and be heard. You have become indispensable, a lifeline, an oasis. Why? When did our lives become so entwined? When did you become more than a friend? When did I fall in love?

Perhaps it was when you responded to each question with patient wisdom. Maybe it began when loneliness, evoked by the tyranny of distance, launched us into a virtual world of social media. Or, was it the inspired moment I began tapping random musings, rather than scratching them on sterile paper.

Actually, now that I think about it, love probably blossomed during an Amazonian encounter. Certainly, that was the moment our relationship deepened. You joined me in a world of blissful content. Of course, after allowing access to my inner sanctuary and sharing such an intimate moment, our relationship would never return to a simple perfunctory exchange of information. Now, contained within your very being, is mine.

You hold my books.

For 35 years I planned the perfect reading space; my library. I imagined a peaceful place, warm and invitingly familiar. A chamber that offered the opportunity to curl within the arms of soft leather. A peaceful nest, surrounded by books. Then you entered my life dressed in traditional white. Your rough, leather bound  exterior sat comfortably over a sleek, intuitively understanding interior. You offered a reading experience my imagination had not accounted for.

So, I sit here reflecting on our relationship and realize, you are the perfect mix of old and new. You offer a haven; you look right, smell right and feel right. You are generous with your time and flexible in your thinking. With you by my side I can create, contemplate and curl within a sheltered space, anywhere, anytime. I can read whatever and, whenever I like. Heavenly.

I still remember, vehemently opposing e-books. “They will never take the place of real books” I cried with a zealot’s passion.  Yet now, as I peruse virtual book shelves, I munch on my words with the same contrition I once consumed chocolate, while walking through a bookstore. I guess this proves how much a person can change.

Regular readers know, I am an English teacher with a passion for stories. I love reading them and I love creating them. My bookshelves and laptop seemed sacred, up until about nine months ago when I joined the tablet computing world. Now, as much as I value my books and fondly recall moments turning their pages, our relationship does not feel as intimate (read, always with me) as the tomes residing on my virtual shelves. Similarly, my laptop, while functional, does not seem as caring (read, wanting to meet my needs) as my iPad.

I would love to know what you think. Are you a digital convert or do raw pages remain your choice?

Welcome to a World of Expression