6.16.2007

Nosy Bookstore Clerks Got Me a Ponderin'

One of my good friends from high school got married this past Friday. While not in the wedding, I did have the prestigious role of "backup usher." We're not sure what that role means, but all I know was I got a free dinner at the rehearsal and had zero responsibilities at the wedding, so I was okay with it. In fact, I'd argue I'm the absolute best backup usher there ever was ever.

Anyways, I don't have a lot of time to update my blog right now. I get internet access this next Tuesday, so hopefully my updating will be more frequent. Though it probably won't be. Much apologies. I do have one short story I want to tell you:

This past week I was training for a job I have no interest in ever doing about 1.5 hours away from the QC. On the way home from the QC is the IC, which is where the wedding, wedding rehearsal, and all wedding related activities were to take place. Thursday night on the way home from my training, I stopped in the IC for the rehearsal dinner. Unfortunately, due to the timing of it all, I arrived an hour earlier. I had a book with me and decided to stop by Barnes and Noble to read for an hour. About halfway through my time there a man sat down in the recliner next to me. He possessed a book about handguns and a book whose cover said "IRS" inside a giant "no" sign-like the no smoking sign. I looked at the man and did the obligatory "caught eyes" nod. Then, after I discovered what books he had in his lap, I ask, "Bad tax return sir?"

Which leads me to a query I've always pondered: Do bookstore clerks and/or librarians judge others for the books they buy/check out? I've always wanted to buy a handful of children's books alongside a Hustler magazine just to see what they'd say. If you've ever shopped at a bookstore, which admittedly, most of you haven't, the bookstore clerks comment on every purchase you buy. "Oh I love this book." "What a great read." "I hear this is good." "Oh you should really buy this if you like this." "Etc." "Etc."

So what happens if I buy the worst books the Dark Lord has to offer? What do they say then? Or, what if I take My Father's advice and buy the following combination:

-How to Pick Up Women

and

-How to Live With Herpes

The possibilities are endless. Endless!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your picture makes you look handsome!

Anonymous said...

Hey! I'm a librarian, so I'll comment. I never judge people on what they check out because I want them to feel like they are having a confidential, trusting exchange. So, the next time they need to come in and ask about how to talk to their 11 year old son about sex, or where to find books about having sex after 50, or books about surviving breast cancer, they'll look for me...the nice, trusting, confidential librarian. What IS interesting, though, is looking at stacks of books as they get returned. You don't ever see the people and you wonder if the book about the history of striptease and the Focus on the Family Children's Video really did get returned together or just found themselves together in a bizarre twist of fate in the book drop. Or...when you see a Wagner CD, a book about home electronics, a book about Nazi Germany, and a book about chemistry...you can let your imagination run wild and imagine if your town will be the next home of the next unabomber... Although, if it's a particularly hot guy I usually do sneak a peak at what their reading. :)