today marks
one year that my bookstore has been open at its current location. basically, today is my one-year anniversary because
i couldn’t do this full-time until this last move so i consider november 18,
2017 my opening day. it went by
uncelebrated and that’s okay because i knew. i didn’t want to plan anything or have an event since it’s a holiday
week. i felt sure it would be a slow day
and that would just depress me and add to my anxiety and frustration.
i had a good
day though. i had gotten in several books as part of a donation that i knew a customer would want to look at. i texted and she came by and made a sizeable
purchase. i love doing what i do. i love knowing my customers wants and
interests and contacting them when books surface that they will like. i had that happen one other time this past
week as well and it reinforced why i do what i do.
the used book
business is really hard. i’m in constant
competition with big warehouse stores and thrift shops and goodwill but i offer
so much more than that. you can’t walk
into one of those places and ask for recommendations or spend literally hours talking
about literature or politics or family or music or film or God or anything
else. i do that all day. i know my customers and i do what i do for
them – not just for me.
i don’t know
that i will see another anniversary in this business unless something changes. lots of things are happening in the book world
and lots of things are happening in nashville. it’s a source of pride for me that the store sustains itself but i must
pay myself as well and that’s proving to be much more difficult.
if i’m able
to hang on i hope on my 2nd anniversary then i can have a party!
grace and
peace and books
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