From e-books to God

I just woke up after staying up until 3am. We had one of those conversations that truly upsets and worries me to the bone. Why can’t I reach her and convince her I might be right?

We had a huge discussion going from e-books to God and UFOs. Imagine that. It all came from her daughter participating in a reading contest.

What can I boil it down to? What are the conclusions from a four hour discussion which includes a phase of «you hate me, you really hate me» coming from her part. So I’m like «What? No? When did I ever hate you?»

Very unconventional, and I’m not used to it. I’m not used to this – pardon my French – basic ideas of opinion which there are no nuances. Just right – wrong – good – bad.

Going back to e-books and use of electronic devices, her focus is different from mine. To her, HOW you read is more important than WHAT you read. She wants her daughter to read books the old fashioned way since her aim is including her into this reading contest as a way of blocking usage of smart phones and tablets – and make her read instead. While I agree with the aspect of reading as extremely important, I am not so focused on HOW you read as long as you DO it. I have read tons of books. I love to read. English and Norwegian alike. I have personally not read even one e-book. For her, this was a way to hinder usage of what to her is damaging negative technology, and make the daughter focus on old and positive technology (books).

So I kept saying it didn’t matter to me how her daughter read, as long as she did it. That is the whole idea of the contest (they include e-books as a way to read).

The irony of it all; where do you register and sign up for this contest? Online, using a smart phone…

It mattered immenslely to her that her daughter read the RIGHT way. To her, reading an e-book is coined under «usage of ipads and cell phones» which falls under what is harmful. Apperantly, there’s no disctinction of wasting time playing some silly brainless game than reading an e-book. Using a smart phone as a radio or music box makes no difference from using it as a game console. It is all to be avoided – because usage is usage.

I have the most terrible time following this train of thought.

To me, the actual reading is important. Not how you do it.

To her, usage of ipads and cell phones damages your eyesight.

To me, the constant focus on one spot for long durations of time damages the eyesight (whether that be books or ipads). I have even documented that I am right by talking to an optician, but to no prevail.

And then we shifted onwards to God and faith.

To her, God is a documented fact. She backs up this claim with witness testimony from the bible days – using the bible as the prime source of factual documentation as well as art history (very bizarre to claim art is proof of God though).

To me, God is faith and not a documented fact. There is not evidence of God. This is why its called faith. Faith is something you choose.

To her, belief in UFOs are a giggle factor and something to be embaressed about since I am interested in all things aerospace.

To me, there are not such thing as belief in UFOs as witness testimony by our best fighter pilots and the best technological equipment (The Nimitz Encounters 2004) proves actual evidence of unknown aerial vehicles operating in our skies. This is a fact. Leave the aliens out of it as of now. We can only accept that something or someone is operating these objects. The rest is faith.

To her, life on other planets are unthinkable and not true.

To me, using new science as a back up – life on other planets are unavoidable as the Universe is basically unending. It is mathematically impossible we are alone.

And where do we go from here when our opinions are so different? I thought I could make a claim, and back it up with facts was enough to convince people. It is apperantly not.

I’m all out of ideas.

All this to prove a point

I have a new book idea. Finally. The story runs continously through my head, and I love it. Finally, after two years, I can actually gather my head enough to let the inspiration flow once again. And you know what, it’s partly because of one comment she gave me. In a sarcastic, mean manner – albeit in a heated discussion, she said; «yeah, that will sell a lot…». This time, when I told her I had an idea for a novel, I refrained from telling her what it was about. I just gave her a few basic story lines from it, not mentioning the U-word. UAP. UFO.

Sekret Machines co-written by Tom DeLonge put me on it. I was originally planning more of a book of facts on the subject, but screw that. I have an opinion and a message to give, and that message will be given through fictional characters dealing with real events.

So, is this just to prove a point? To win an argument? To write a book in order to go on the offensive and prove her wrong? I guess so. Whatever heats up my inspirational juices you know. Because I am right, and she is wrong – and I can back it up with real facts. But, she don’t want to listen to facts. She rolls her eyes and looks like I just fell off a cliff or just came back from the circus. It pisses me off. Really pisses me off. She don’t want to know, she sticks her head in the sand and pretends I’m the weird one. The stories I could have told her. The world I could open up to her if she simply managed to pull herself together to listen to it. But, no. No chance. And so I will do this with a book. The hard part remains though. To write it all. I’ve done it before. Seven times to be exact.

I just have to find the time and structure myself. All this to prove a point. And you know what, it’s a lot of fun.

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