In an age where everything is electronic and online, or at least moving toward it, we move away from the more conventional way of doing things.
We choose Netflix over going to the movie theater, e-readers instead of hardback books and streaming music instead of buying CDs and records. It really makes one wonder, “Will these things soon be whisked away and forgotten? Will we be telling our grandchildren how we used to go out to watch a movie?” Or will we be trying to describe that new book smell? I don’t think so. In fact, I think they will know exactly what we will be talking about.
As a child, I always heard about drive-in movie theaters but had never seen one or attended a showing at one. Just this summer, near my hometown, a new drive-in was constructed, and it was definitely getting attention.
My dad grew up on records, his sister on singles and B-sides, and I grew up listening to CDs. Many modern bands still produce vinyl records and can be found easily. Even some clothing stores sell them. CDs are even more easily found.
Take Polaroid for example, a company founded in the ’30s. It has been revived after multiple bankruptcies and discontinuation. It was revived because there was still a demand for its products. Suddenly young adults took favor in film photography and thought it was trendy.
While film was popular before, it has now taken a new burst of recognition for the vintage look. People nowadays love anything vintage. I mean look at Instagram filters. “Old fashion” is now the “new fashion” and is now socially acceptable by the masses.
Personally, I prefer the experience of books. Having a book to hold instead of a Kindle makes me feel more immersed in the content rather than getting easily distracted by the fact that I can open a tab and search the web. I love the creaking of the spine, physically turning the page, marking my spot by folding the corner and that new book smell. I also love going to bookstores and finding old books that have seen more than a few readers. It’s as if the more worn the book is, the more stories it has to tell.
The fear of losing these simple joys is futile; trends have a way of reviving themselves because we feel nostalgic towards them. My point is we have a desire for vintage things. These things were not intended for our generation but we still enjoy them. So what is stopping our children and grandchildren from enjoying books, theaters and drive-ins, records and CDs?
Amber Garcia is a freshman geology major from San Antonio. She is a photographer for the Lariat.
