Have you ever read a book that transformed your outlook on life? Where you went to the store and stared at the check out lady because she just doesn’t get it? Like you are in your own little world that no one understands?
Sometimes the words of a writer can resonate so deeply we feel our life will be different. Then we share that book with a friend. And another. Then they start sharing books with us. We keep reading and keep seeing the power of the written word to transform and heal.
Simple letters on a page. Words strung together in the perfect way. Words heal. Words make us laugh. They make us make loud noises out loud without noticing or give a sign of relief. Just a string of words that one artist put together. Sharing their heart with another. They served their experience on a platter to impact you.
Every person has a story. Every book has a story. Working at Barnes and Noble yesterday, a customer came to the check out counter to buy The Lord of the Rings and said to me, “How many thoughts do you think are present in all of these books?”
Dear little Hobbit, more than we’ll ever know, but let’s keep trying. Barnes sells 155 million books a year. That’s a lot of thoughts. From the Stephen King in Horror to the SAT prep books, and Junie B. Jones in Kids. How to learn Spanish in Languages, how to start an Etsy shop in Business, best U.S. road trips in Travel, and that Bargain Annex that has it all.
Each customer is there to find something. They share a piece of their life by showing you what they’re buying. Reading a thriller to pass the time, getting wedding planning books, or books on PTSD. Each person walks in their with a story. And walks out with one. A book to help them. To teach them. To comfort them. Where they can sit back and read. They’ll be back later for more and I get to hear their story, find what they’re looking for, and guide them to think, see, and discover. It’s a pretty neat treasure to see into their world for a second.