I have a friend, someone I respect and enjoy, who is a High School English teacher. This friend of mine and I often engage in discussions about books as I too have a degree in English and have a love of reading. This friend of mine is passionate about the written word in its classic form. He respects and honours grammar, punctuation and proper format. He is a reader of everything from modern day works to the classics. However, this friend of mine has grave concerns regarding the impact technology is having on the written word in its purist form. He sees his students texting and emailing using abbreviations with a complete disregard for spelling, grammar and sentence structure. He worries that his students will be lost in the "real world" with a lack of interest in, or worse, lack of ability to communicate. He abhors these technologies and dismisses them as a waste of time, or worse, as the murderer of the written word he so adores.

He and I discuss this often. Our discussions have turned to debates and even arguments. Because, it is not that I disagree, in fact I completely see his point however, I don't see technology as something useless or evil. I see this change as just that, a change. A shift in the way we communicate. An evolution. Communication is adapting and changing as it has always done.

Let me just pause here to give you a little background info on my friend. He does not own a cell phone and never has. He uses email only when he has to, doesn't text, he has never been on facebook or twitter and rarely, if ever, has he read a blog.

I recently read a passage in the latest UrbanMoms Book Club selection, Half Broke Horses by Jeanette Walls, that reminded me of my teacher friend. There is a point in the story where the main character's father expresses his hatred for the newly invented automobile. He loves horses and sees cars as a threat to something he believes in and is passionate about. Just like he loved horses, my friend loves the written word. Looking back now, would we give up the automobile in favour of horse and carriage? No way. It is now a huge part of every day life and an indispensable necessity. It offers a lot of good and probably a little not-so-good too but most of us would not survive long without access to a car. However, just like technology is now, it represented change and change is hard and change is scary.

I do think in order to move forward we sacrifice some things and leave them behind but the ball is rolling and we have little control to stop it. And if I'm honest, some of that is happening with the written word. My friend loves to tell the story about how Mary Shelley wrote the classic Frankenstein at the young age of 18. She wove together a beautiful tale and created timeless characters using impeccable language and form. My friend is genuinely concerned that his students can't write like this and worse, don't value it enough. I agree. However, and this is a big one, I think my friend is being a bit romantic about Mary Shelley and the classics. Let's be honest, Mary Shelley, no matter when she wrote it, is an exception and even more so in 1818. In Shelley's day only 25% of women were considered literate and only 1 out of every 14 people (mostly men) attended school. In other words, the majority of the population didn't value the written word when these classics were written because most of them didn't read and those that did either read only a little or didn't have the means to invest in something as luxurious as a book. Truthfully, Mary Shelley is a huge exception not matter what or when.

But remember what I said before? I believe that this is not the end of the world or a sign that the sky is falling but an evolution. I disagree that we don't value the written word anymore. I think that it is simply changing. Technology has created opportunities and made it possible for almost anyone to be a writer. Writing is now not simply for the elite or uber-educated or formally trained. We can all be writers if we want and many of us have found both personal and professional success and camaraderie and catharsis through the easily accessible world of blogging and social networking. Some of the most beautiful, funny, captivating writers I read are bloggers. Their words raw and unedited, rich and expressive.

Also, some of the greatest friends and colleagues I know I have met through UrbanMoms, facebook or twitter. An amazing pool of brilliance and resourcefulness exists out there riding the wave of change. Yet there are so many who still resist or even 'poo poo' this shift but I know it is futile. The wave of change is constantly ebbing and flowing. One can choose to embrace it and enjoy the ride or resist it and struggle to stay afloat while missing the ride all together. History has shown us that each generation makes changes and choices and improvements on the last, leaving those who hold on to a romantic notion of the past in their dust. I, for one, will not resist but will hop willingly onto the wave and find wonderment and beauty throughout the ride.