Of Graduations and Butterflies

I have been to several graduation ceremonies in the last few days. The speeches were heartfelt and touched on the themes so common to this rite of passage: following your dreams, reaching for the stars, remembering your roots. But my favorite quote of all came from the valedictorian of the high school who cited Joseph Campbell's "follow your bliss".

It seems like a simple concept at first and so similar to the other statements about goals for your life. But, I think that Campbell;s direction may be a bit more complicated. It may mean different things at different times in your life. As a young person it might inspire you to take a backpack and tour Europe or learn to make pottery. Now that I am older, it strikes me that "bliss" can sometimes encompass pain or difficulty. In pursuing your bliss you may have to give up some things of value. Bliss does not always come with regular hours or high pay. Pursuing your bliss may cause people to sometimes question your sanity.

Which brings me around again to The Open Book. The one thing I know for sure (as Oprah would say) is that the most important thing in my life is my family. But my "Bliss" is my love of books and the joy of sharing that love with others. I have done that through many years at the bookstore and more recently, as a librarian. It is the nerdiest bliss that you can imagine, really, but I feel a shot of pure joy when I connect someone with a book that I think will touch them.

This year we have moved and we are now faced with a fancy new store down the block. There are moments when my concern about location and sales and competition seem to take over. Then one of my customers who I have watched grow from a young kid to a man bound for college asks me to find a book that will touch his emotions. Another asks for a book that will change his life. A tired woman says to find her something that will make her laugh.....she justs wants to laugh a little. And my bliss calls to me. I lose myself in the hunt for that book that just might make one cry, another think and another chuckle out loud. Despite that fact that sometime it is not easy....I count myself lucky to do what I do.

A few years ago there was a new musical called "The Story of My Life". It was about a writer and a bookstore owner. One of the songs from that show is one that I think fits the theme of graduation and of following your bliss. If you have a few minutes, listen to this song sung by Will Chase and think of your bliss and the journey of the butterfly.

Is It Too Graphic?

I have always been a bit of a snob about graphic novels. I mean really, aren't they just fancy comic books masquerading as literature? Well, I guess it is time to admit that I can be wrong. ( I hear the sound of my children gasping in the background.....)

Stitches by David Small is a powerful memoir told partially with words and partially with images. Mr. Small has told the story of his very dysfunctional family and his painful childhood by using the simple and elegant drawings that illustrate the children's books that may be more familiar to his readers. He illuminates the starkness and lack of emotion of his mother and the distance of his father. He tells the story of a child who is not told of the cancer that has ravaged his body because it is not something that he needs to know. He tells of finding that person who will hear him and see him, for the first time in his life.

This is a powerful and affecting story told with pictures and words. I cannot imagine it being told in any other way.

Because Oprah Told Me To.....

Like many booksellers, I owe a debt of gratitude to Oprah Winfrey. When I started selling books in 1999, Oprah's Book Club was in its heyday and I anxiously awaited the announcement of her next book. Even in the bleakest February, I was sure to sell some books if Oprah said that book was what should be read. Oprah has made authors famous and taught non-readers to love to read. Oprah is the patron saint of booksellers.

I have a confession to make. I have not always loved the books that Oprah has chosen for her Book Club. Many of them, while very well written, are dark and depressing. The recurring themes of dysfunctional families, violence against women and children and struggles against poverty are sometimes overwhelming. Call me shallow, but I often choose to turn to mystery, fantasy and lighter fare when choosing pleasure reading.

Recently, Oprah has been talking about a book called Women, Food and God by Geneen Roth. Immediately, I decided there were two strikes against this book.....1) Oprah says I must read it and 2) it is a self-help book. But somehow, its tidy little blue/gray cover with its beckoning landscape called to me and I took this book home. And I have to admit it, Oprah was kind of right.

Roth talks about how for many people food is a numbing agent, much like drugs or alcohol. People will use food to distract themselves from dealing with their feelings or facing the world. Roth puts forth her theories with strength and gentle humor. Despite the title, there is no religious agenda. For Roth, "God" refers to whatever spiritual other a person may recognize.
I found this book to be enlightening and interesting. I learned some things and did not feel condescended to or belittled.

Lesson for the day: You should not judge a book by the person that promotes it!

Keep turning those pages.......