Pages Not Pads

Although I'm well aware that it's more than a little ironic, I'm writing this post about using the iPad less ... on my iPad! It's not completely contradictory, however. I'm not advocating giving up my beloved Pearl; simply using her a little more judiciously. That's because it has come to my attention that I've been "padding" a bit too much and reading traditional pages - or even ebook pages - not quite enough.

Coincidentally, I've been a little grumpy of late. There hasn't been any cause for it, yet I've been testy. And I think it could very well be because I've been overdosing on Pearl. I've been using her at meals, when I have free time during the day, and now to write my evening NaNoWriMo blog entries. Correspondingly, my book reading stats have taken a marked dip. Instead of finishing a book every three or four days, it's over a week. That just isn't me.

It should be though. I am definitely far happier when I'm reading more. There is still nothing better in the world for me than curling up with a good book. I love everything about books: the smell, the feel, the way I get so totally immersed in them. Why wouldn't I be doing as much as I can of something that makes me feel so good?

I guess it's at least partially because the iPad makes me feel good too. But it's a deceptive kind of good, a time-sucking act that doesn't really deliver all the benefits I might think it does. (And that's totally ignoring the fact that the backlit screen may be doing strange things to my brain - at least if used too close to bedtime.) The iPad is wonderful for certain things, writing definitely being one of them. I have never enjoyed writing electronically as much as I do on Pearl (despite too many typos I can produce pretty quickly). It's also very handy for reference works and looking stuff up on the web. And I have genuine enjoyment using my photo apps to do creative things with my pictures. But ...

... I also end up browsing the web far longer than I need to. One thing leads to another and suddenly a half hour has simply vanished. Though fortunately I play them rarely, games suck time too - and many also have the added disincentive of making me feel stressed and grumpy when my performance isn't up to snuff. Even reading isn't the same because the net is right there and I jump right onto it at the slightest hint of something to look up ... and then end up not getting as much reading done as planned anyway.

I don't even like the iPad particularly for reading books - too bright and glare-y, though it's as good as it gets for magazines. (Given a choice I'd take the real thing, but I don't have that option in most cases.) And of course there's my app addiction to consider. I spend time watching for and downloading new apps, then more time trying them out and organising them - and yet more time when I start running out of space and have to purge them! (I had gotten down to around 800 a few weeks back, but now I'm back up to 906, with a paltry half gig free.) Suddenly it becomes work, another responsibility, another thing to be maintained.

So what's my prescription? Well, I definitely want to keep writing. I also read my daily devotionals and I want to have a little fun playing with graphics. But I need to seriously weed all those games I don't need to play. And I should try to maybe return to real books and real magazines at lunch. Certainly I shouldn't do anything other than my blog at night, and I should finish it as early as possible. The rest of the time? Books, books, books. The more I read, the better I think I'll feel. The real me is a reader above all, and it think it's time to get back to the real me as soon as possible.