Call me "old school", even though I’m not really that old. Call me "dated", even though I still use my phone and computer for just about everything. Call me whatever you want to make me feel weird about continuing to use a hard copy address book when we have everything we need on our phones. I’m still going to do it.
When it comes to books, all types of books, I really prefer traditional hard copies to all others. Sure, I dabble a bit in eBooks and audio books out of pure convenience, but when it really comes down to it, I like to feel an actual book in my hand. And this applies to more than simply reading. Even though I have all of the contacts that truly matter at hand in my smartphone, I still keep a hard copy address book on my desk at all times. There are a number of reasons why it’s my preference, so here are just a few.
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It takes my focus off a screen for at least a little while each day. If it weren’t for books, I would constantly be staring at a screen. Whether it be my phone, my computer, or my television, the screen zombie in me needs a serious break. When I’m at my desk and doing business where I have to make a number of calls, it helps to take my eyes off a screen for a bit. Taking the time to browse through my address book, which is chock full of notes, gives me a break that my eyes so desperately need.
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It allows me to feel a more personal connection with people I know. There is something about everything being electronic these days that has made me feel less connecting with people even though we can be connected with them at the touch of the button. When I reference my address book each day, it invokes memories about when that contact was added, why they were added, and the notes I’ve included with each contact even allows me to bring up certain stories to share whenever I make my calls. You can do this all with your phone, but I’m telling you it’s not quite the same.
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I’m more than okay with all of this information NOT being in the cloud. For the same reason that it is an absolute godsend to be able to recover lost information easily, it’s also terrifying. Sometimes you don’t want all of that information out there in the world for anyone to get their hands on. I keep much more personal information in my hard copy address book than I ever would in my phone or on my computer. Good luck trying to hack into it from afar.
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It’s quite stylish. I like my office to complement my personality and my address books happens to be a part of my office. The one I have on my desk currently adds extra sophistication to the old school style of my office. If you didn’t see me sitting there, you might think the office belonged to someone like Ernest Hemingway.
I could actually go on with reasons, but I’ll choose to spare you. Before you scoff at my old mindset, I implore you to just go back every now and then and try using a hard copy address book. They’re old school, but they’re also quite fun.