Today I am thankful for local bookstores, though not many of them seem to still exist. Years ago, before internet shopping really took off, when I wanted or needed to purchase a book I got into my car and drove to a local bookstore. Sometimes it was a “mom and pop” type of bookstore that was owned and operated by a local family, whereas on other occasions it was a local installment of a national chain. I determined which type of bookstore to go to based on the availability of the particular item that I needed or wanted, and, for the most part, either type of bookstore generally satisfied whatever need or want that I had at the time.
I enjoyed walking into the bookstores, locating the item that I specifically made the trip for, and then taking some time to browse for little gems that proved to be pleasant surprises. I would often locate some potential buys and then go take a seat so that I could take my time and review them without experiencing foot and back pain caused by standing up for long periods (yes, my visits to bookstores would last just that long).
As an avid reader and writer, the time that I would spend in bookstores was peaceful, enlightening, and eye-opening. While there, seeing all of those books and considering the many adventures in life that they represented would cause me to feel as though I could accomplish anything. And it was as though time stood still for those simple moments during which I was surrounded by the literary endeavors of everyday people like you and me. It was electrifying.
Thesedays, unfortunately, my visits to local bookstores are few and in between, not because I no longer enjoy doing so, but because there are so few local bookstores left. And the few that are locally accessible are either too small and/or specialized to carry the items that I may want, or they are located such a long distance away from my primary locale that it is just not worth it to make the trip. However, on the rare occasion that I do make a trip to a local bookstore now, the moment that I enter those walls it is as though time has stopped yet again and I have been transported back to those moments of my youth. And once again I feel as though I have come home. #lovebythedrop
love by the drop 