Bookstores and Distractions

For years, I've almost exclusively purchased books online. Browsing a bookstore with two young distractions – I mean children – can be irritating.

Last week, my daughter asked me to go into a bookstore with her and her brother. Silly me...it had been so long, I was delighted to say yes.

I’d forgotten how much I love bookstores…. My quiet tread on the noise-swallowing carpet. The scent of paper. The front covers seducing me to read the backs. The descriptions on the backs even more enticing.

That there are so many ideas, so much creativity out there, so much information. So many opportunities to escape from the real world.

In minutes, I wanted to buy twenty books, and that was without being able to fully comprehend the summaries since I was interrupted by my distractions’ questions every thirty-five seconds.

That the Erotica section was next to Science-Fiction did not help matters any.

No, honey, I don’t know why that lady wearing only black lacy panties has handcuffs on. (Public nudity is not verboten here in Germany.) Kids, let’s be moving on….

It turned out my daughter wanted to buy a diary with a lock on it. The only versions available were too girly for her taste. Unable to concentrate, I left that bookstore without making a purchase.

But one thing stayed with me as I walked out: a feeling of emptiness. A trip to a bookstore – without the purchase of a book – is a sad thing indeed.