Who Do I Think I Am??

This one's about the go-to book.

THE PROMPT: "Invalid Entry" 

Good afternoon, and happy Sunday to everyone out there! I have to admit, I gushed a little inside when I saw this entry last night from Emily . It's nice because it's a little more universally relatable, and I think out of everyone still involved in the "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" , (I'm not keeping track so the number might be off) so if there's 10 of us, you'll probably see 10 different responses. Which can make things even more interesting.

I have to admit, from my teen years through most of my adult life, had this question been posed to me I may have laughed. I didn't read much of anything outside of the newspaper and things of that nature. Maybe a few music or sports magazines. That was it.

But it's funny how being unemployed can change things. A few years ago, I had just started a part-time (with full-time potential) position at a (now defunct) pharmacy chain, so I decided I'd need a second job to catch up on expenses. Walking through the mall, I noticed Waldenbooks was hiring. I figured, what the hell? How hard could it be? Dropped off my application and hoped for the call.

And they called. Turned out what they were really looking for were seasonal employees to get them through Christmas and to staff their calendar stand. The manager who interviewed me was pretty cool. He asked me my reading interests, and I was embarrassed to answer that most of what I've read in the last 10 years had been the lyrics inside of all the cds I'd purchased while listening to the music. I cited The Tragically Hip as an example of how their music is like poetry to me, and how I could enjoy Gord Downie's lyrics with or without the music for the way it resonated to me. I must've impressed him enough to get the job...at the calendar stand.

Occasionally I'd work in the store, mainly stocking the shelves and putting out magazines. It was barely enough to learn how to sell books. The most irritating thing? People coming in, saying, "I'm looking for this book; it's by some guy I don't remember. And the cover is red." And you had to figure out what it was. That, my friends, is no easy task. I was let go after the holidays.

But sure enough, around springtime, I saw that they were hiring again. I walked in, talked to the manager, and he agreed to take me on, in the store. And I learned. I studied the shelves as I stocked them. I listened to customers. I read the Literary section of the newspaper more focused now than ever. And when that irritating customer who knew what they wanted but didn't know what it was came in, I was able to get enough information out of them to know what they wanted. It was a very gratifying feeling. I remember being at the top of their three main sales categories a few times. It was great!

I also took full advantage of my employee discount. I stocked up on some classics, and some things I'd never had the chance to read before. And even though I was working two jobs, I found myself with a little time to read. I was taking the bus to the mall and back, so it was perfect. It was times like that where I discovered one of my very favorite reads...something a lot of others had to read for high school, but I wasn't one of them. I was probably 28 at the time, and it was The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger. Even though it was set in a different time, and the main character was significantly younger than I was, I felt a strong connection to Holden Caulfield. His spirit, his mannerisms, his sense of adventure while on a course of finding himself...they all felt very relatable. That alone is enough to make it a must-read.

But what really hooked me wasn't so much the plot, but Salinger's writing style. He really was relating a story, and his used of italics in mid-sentence for emphasis really colored things in a way that made it seem like there was true emotion behind the printed words. No author I had read before had ever done that, or used it to the effect that Salinger had.

Sadly, I had been promoted at my other job. I went down to two days a week at Waldenbooks, and after another promotion, had to leave Waldenbooks entirely. Maybe a year later, if not less, the store closed entirely. But my bookseller voyage didn't end there. A few years later, I was again out of work. Walking through a different mall, I noticed the old Waldenbooks there had been converted to a Borders Express location (Borders and Waldenbooks shared the same parent company). They too were hiring, not only for the holidays, but they were looking for keyholders as well. I introduced myself to the manager, told him about my experience with Waldenbooks, recognized a few of the employees who I'd spoken on the phone with a few years back, and they hired me.

It was an amazing experience! I got to re-connect again with reading, taking advantage of my discount and the book-borrowing program. My collection of books is pretty massive and diverse. But Borders itself was having major financial problems, and after about a year and a half there, they closed my location and several other mall locations. And eventually, there no longer was a Borders anywhere. And while there may no longer be Borders, I still have the friends, the memories, the conversations, and the books. And that's as good as any paycheck to me.

MUSICAL BREAK!!

Our location sold a few cd's too. One holiday season, this band released an accompanyment to their major release a few months before, probably to cash in on their success during the holidays. I picked it up and was blown away by this collaboration...the song is amazing alone, but so much better here.

The song is great, the lyrics are so poignant and meaningful, and Jay-Z's verse is crushing and spot-on. When I'm down, it's a go-to track to lift me up.

VITAL STATS:

Just noticed in the last week that the weeds in our gardens, and especially between the house and garage and that walkway to the patio, are effin' out of control. And it's a beautiful day...not too hot or humid, so I should go out there and start weeding them. It's a damn project. There's that walkway, there's gardens all around the house, and then there's the patio behind the garage. But I've got a temporary out for now...on top of being already sensitive to too much exposure to the sun (I've had sunstroke and sun poisoning before, plus getting sunstroke again last spring helping my boy Adam clean up from tearing the roof off his folks' house), one of the warnings on my blood pressure meds says to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun. Otherwise, I'd probably be out there. Jess likes to keep the look of the gardens weed-free, so if that's one way I can make her happy, then ok, I'll do it. But I guess not today.

Just want to send a li'l shout-out to the ladies out there on WDC, Facebook, and wherever else you come across this... Happy Mother's Day!! I've always said that being a mother means being many things... a caregiver, a doctor, a nurse, a teacher, a cop, a psychiatrist, a judge, a cab driver, a chef, a coach, a fan, and so much more, all rolled into one. To all the moms out there that read this, please know you have my respect and admiration. It's an unpaid, 24/7 position that rarely gains appreciation outside of the reward you see when your child has done what you've hoped to do the day you pushed him or her out into the world. Thanks for all that you do.

Ok, fine readers...that's it for me today. Gonna relax, catch up on some of you, and get on with my day as only I can. Peace, love, and GOODNIGHT NOW!!