Monday, August 3, 2009

More Bookstore "Treasures"

I have one more post on vacation, but am having trouble getting my pictures to load. That post will wait. I've been at the bookstore for four days since returning from the lake. I only have one other day this week, and then a whole week off. (Time to get ready for school!) The plan is to work one day a week when school starts. I really like the discount, the access to new used books as they arrive, and finding all kinds of new books to read.

But then there are those moments...!

The young father (with four year old in tow) who was looking for a book on drinking games. Now, I'm thinking to myself that if he is a father, perhaps it is time to leave the college drinking games behind!! I directed him to the games section. He didn't find a book. Darn it! (Note to self. Someone really needs to write a book on drinking games. Maybe in my spare time...!)

An older lady came in looking for a book on how to make pet rocks. I'm sure I looked skeptical, but took her to the crafts and hobbies section to look while I searched on computer. Nope. Nothing there. She decided to look in pets. (Honey, those are live!!) Then we searched home and garden (??!) and arts and architecture. (No one in their right mind would call pet rocks art!) She was growing quite irritated that she wasn't finding anything. I couldn't even find anything to special order for her. Apparently, this was a pet rock emergency!

A guy comes in looking for a book. He doesn't know the author or the title. He proceeds to tell me the plot of another book by the same author. Finally, he admits that it is some obscure book his wife read in college about 30 years ago. Yeah, we didn't find that one.

An older guy comes in looking for a book on herbs. I am helping another customer, but direct him to the gardening section or the section on holistic medicine. He quickly corrects me. He is looking for a book on herbs for human consumption. (Crazy me! I didn't know there was any other kind of herbs. Hmmm...maybe we should try the human section! Oh right. We don't have a human section!!)

And then there are those moments that just break your heart.

A woman in her late 30's or early 40's comes in looking for a book on death and dying. I ask her if she has a specific title in mind. She gets big tears in her eyes and says she is looking for a book on coping with the death of a child. I quickly lead her to the death and dying section, find a stool for her to sit on, and leave her to look in peace.

That was a punch to the gut.

3 comments:

Gayle said...

Oh, mrs. e, you made me laugh and brought tears to my eyes, all in the same post.

glnroz said...

A punch indeed..Printed word of all types need our protection.

Heidi said...

I can so picture these scenarios. I can't really share my bookstore stories on my blog for fear some of my customers will read and recognize, but I know what you mean. There are some real doosies- these are some very good ones right here. :)

Heidi