To my mind there is nothing so beautiful or so provocative as a secondhand book store…To me it is astonishing and miraculous to think that any one of us can poke among the stalls for something to read overnight–and that this something may be the sum of a lifetime of sweat, tears, and genius that some poor, struggling, blessed fellow expended trying to teach us the truth. – Lionel Barrymore

Used Books. Neverending used books. Boxes and boxes. Stacks and stacks. They never end, do they? Some days it seems that way. Sometimes I feel I have to fight off customers and their boxes of used books. Where am I going to put them? How many boxes can I safely stack? As a customer told me, “But isn’t that your business? Dealing with books?” Yes, but only what I can handle, thank you.

I do reach a breaking point sometimes. It doesn’t happen too often, but it does. And it happened this week. 🙂 But I soldiered on. I don’t think customers knew. But if they did, no one said anything to me. Maybe, they realized they better not, if they did. I don’t generally take things too seriously. Go with the flow. And I try. And the day ended, and I went home and laid on the couch.

People ask how to I manage? All these stacks? All these books? Well, I do have a way. And that way came to me a very long time ago when I was a freshman in college and my first work-study job. I was working in the Music Department at Castleton State College. (Yes, I know it was renamed). My supervisor was Professor Diehl. He was a bit hesitant to ask me to take on a project. He presented a big situation in the Records Room (LPs) and felt the need to explain the room before he opened the door for me. He apologized but kept repeating what a mess it was. How did I feel about organizing record albums? They had a lot. A lot. He kept repeating that. “I can do it,” I stated. “No problem at all. I like to organize.” You have to know, I needed a job to buy my textbooks and working in the Music Dept was a whole lot better than working in the Dining Hall, I don’t care what anyone says. I would say, “I love it!” and “No problem!” to anything Prof Diehl said to me. Then he opened the door. I was not prepared for what was in front of me. But I kept my cool and said, “This will be fun!” And he left me alone in the room. So, I actually wanted to sit in the corner and cry but that’s not who I am. I picked up an album and said, “Well, one album at a time!” Where that came from, I don’t know but I have used that expression throughout my life. Especially here in my shop. “One book at a time.”

You can never, never have too many books. – Drew Barrymore