Where have the “Three R’s” gone

Back at school in the analog days, teachers emphasized Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic collectively known as the “Three R’s”. I must confess that I could never take to cursive writing. My handwriting was awful and perhaps some historian could mistake it for a new version of some form of hieroglyphics! I was poor at spelling (being dyslexic) and not known for my dexterity with numbers for the same reason. However, thanks to my grandparents, I took to reading very early and continue this habit even to this day.

In this digital age, we seem to totally lost the “Three R’s” and they have been replace by Surfing, Typing and Spread sheeting (or spread cheating)! There is no doubt that technology and the internet have made a positive impact but sadly as with many technologies that have ostensibly benefitted humankind there is a negative side too. Reading seems to be the indulgence of a minority. I wonder how people seem to be unable to fathom the immense joy derived from reading as fascinating biography, a historiographer’s account of our past, a thriller or a work that dwells into inquiring about the very purpose of our existence. A good book can fire our imagination and transport us into the soul of the characters it features and we can learn from the triumphs and tragedies and benefit from the nuggets of wisdom packed in by the author. Reading also aids in sharpening our creativity, which seems to be stifled today because of the abuse of “surf and search” followed by “cut and paste”.

Folks come on ! Books are very affordable today or there are libraries both analog and digital, go on pick up a book today and discover a friend for life … Happy reading! As Groucho Marx once said, "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it is too dark to read! I must thank Abhinav for suggesting this appropriate quote.