A Quiet Rebellion
I wonder if our collective return to the tangible is a search for something more than just nostalgia.
Lately, I’ve been seeing some of my favorite music artists selling LPs on their websites, and I have to say, it takes me back to the day when I was a 12-year-old boy lying on my bedroom floor, listening to an album I purchased with my allowance at Kmart. I placed both speakers by my ears and got lost in the music while reading the lyrics in the liner notes. I’m half-tempted to buy a record player and go back to those days.
In the last two years, I’ve noticed a trend in my book sales in favor of paperbacks. I have always sold more ebooks than paperbacks. Neither trend bothers me. Whatever medium readers choose to consume my books in is fine by me. But it is hard not to notice that people are choosing paperbacks again. I’m not as tempted to join that trend as I am to jump back into LPs because I don’t have room for them. And I actually prefer ebooks. But I understand the attraction of holding a physical copy.
I have a friend I’ve been watching movies with lately on DVD. I haven’t consumed movies that way in many years. I had forgotten about the deleted scenes, alternate endings and extra content you can find in the menu. As somebody who has been streaming movies and TV programs for years, I am often frustrated by the fact that a movie I want to watch has disappeared for one reason or another. Owning a physical copy certainly makes sense. So recently, I walked into a Goodwill and purchased a dozen movies for $.99 each and that will keep my friend and me busy for three months.
We tend to be gravitating back toward the old ways. Back toward the tangible. Is that a pushback against a throwaway culture?
Maybe we are tired of that.
I wonder if our collective return to the tangible is a search for something more than just nostalgia. There’s a certain comfort in holding a book, in hearing the crackle of a vinyl record or in owning a movie you can pull off the shelf. It's a return to a slower, more deliberate way of enjoying the things we love.
Perhaps this shift speaks to a deeper desire for connection and authenticity in an increasingly digital world. Embracing these older mediums requires and invites more deliberate actions – flipping LPs from one side to the next, reading liner notes, turning pages, navigating DVD menus – helping us slow down and savor them. In a world that often values speed and convenience, choosing the tangible might just be our quiet rebellion – a way to hold onto what truly matters.
Lee is the author of essay books that encourage you to slow down and live deeper, novels that make you feel, and devotional books that encourage reflection. You can visit his store here.
Check out Lee’s small-town, second-chance romance novel: Return to Cricket Springs. Book 2 in the series is coming later this year.
Here are some tidbits you might find interesting this week:
“There is a sacramental quality to the Christian life: it is through the tangible and the physical that we are able to encounter the divine.” - N. T. Wright
If you are looking for some new (to you) Christian music artists, check out this article by Brett McCracken: Quality Christian Music: 15 Artists to Watch.
This blogpost reflects on the tangible aspects of gardening, emphasizing how physical labor in the garden can draw one closer to God.
The Opportunities We Overlook by Nicholas Lewis is worth your time this weekend.
“When you’re younger, it’s easy to underestimate how fleeting the days can be. Each choice matters. Each day matters. When you’re older, it’s easy to underestimate how much opportunity you still have. Don’t talk yourself out of it. It’s never too late to start.” - James Clear
When Lee isn’t writing essays, devotional books, or Christian fiction, he is a freelance editor, as well as a freelance journalist who has written hundreds of articles for various newspapers and magazines. He’s also a fan of NASCAR, baseball, tennis, books, movies and coffee shops.
"Perhaps this shift speaks to a deeper desire for connection and authenticity in an increasingly digital world."
I sure hope so! My husband and I when first dating in the early 80's would drive an hour to the big city and spend several hours perusing record stores. Then go home to listen and find if we were successful! I still have a hundred or so dvd's and have pulled several out this summer. Yes, nothing worse than wanting to watch an old favourite to find its been dropped on all streaming apps.
And we also own a few hundred cd's! Which came in handy when we bought an older Camaro with no Bluetooth! However, I have recently upgraded to paid account on Spotify and am enjoying searching new music and making playlists so there's that. But no album crackle. Although we do own a turntable and a few albums. My son cleaned us out of the good stuff when he moved out a few years ago.