Tuesday, September 26, 2006

That one place I work...

okay everyone, I'm sure most of you know that I work at an inspirational book store. Great times, right? Most of the time...yes I mean, selling someone a picture of Christ that they'll look at all the time, or maybe suggesting a book that they look like they'd enjoy.

But then there are other times when people feel that their local booksellers need to hear everything in your life...Here's a small list of things I've had customer's tell me.

We have one customer who comes in weekly, he's a compulsive liar, so that should disqualify him from blog acknowledgement...but they're entertaining.

"I have ALS, I only have 6 months to a year to live"
The Next week it was...
"I have MS, in about 12 months I'll be confind to a wheel chair."
and then to my coworker
"Do you have a problem discussing urination...because of my "condition" I have a severe problem with wetting myself."

The next lady
"I need to find a scapbook cover for a wedding, but it can't say "temple wedding," because she's pregnant."

"My daughter is marrying a BAPTIST! I can't believe it! She just barely left a porn addict and now she's going to marry someone WORSE! Do you have ANYTHING that might change her mind?!"

Those are just a few. I have more written down at work. My favorite customers that I have come in are ones that are buying a Mark Chamberlain book, or Colleen Harrison's He Did Deliver Me From Bondage. They are usually extremly nervous, I laugh at them inside and think to myself "If they only knew who they were buying this book from." I make a polite comment that Dr Chamberlain is a great man, with wonderful insights--and more recently, that I was able to hear him a week ago at a conference (he spoke at the EG conference) They walk out the door and I hope that they'll make it.

I don't know if I mentioned this, but during ED week my store was wicked busy, I had someone come in, the woman opened very cautiously to a page in an ad that, she then pointed to the book "In Quiet Desperation" she asked where it was. I suddenly felt my knees give out a little, I was so nervous. Masking my nerves, I quickly walked over to our self improvement section, and handed her the book and told her, "This is book is in my top-ten that we have at this store." That sentence alone floored her. She didn't quite know what to say, "Oh, so you've read this..." she asked me. I quickly answered, "Yes, I found the content appropriate, timely, and spiritually based, there is a lot of insight that the authors bring to the topic, I loved it" I could tell she was putting two and two together, not quite knowing what she should say next. I filled the awkward conversational gap with, "Well, if you need anything else. Please let me know" I smiled kindly, trying to tell her that I know what they're going through, I understood her families pain, and I wanted to help... I tried to tell her that everything would be okayy. After that, I went back to my hanging some framed art while she looked around some more...

I wish I would've given her my email address, offering help. But I figured it wasn't my place, nor would she feel at all comfortable doing so if I even offered. But I wonder all the time if her and her family is okay.

Anywho.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

New reader to your blog. I liked this entry. Good luck with everything.

el veneno said...

Anywho...
For some reason this post was an especially insightful look into your personality. You're an impressive guy. It's good to know we're all rooting for each other in this crazy life.

Loyalist (with defects) said...

And the Gentle-Man of the Year award goes to....AtP!

Anonymous said...

I put in an inter-library loan request for IQD a while ago, (and had to pay for even the search being made) and they never got back to me. Besides, if they had found it I would have had to pay up to $20 to get it on loan. What kind of library is that. Anyway, I need to get over it. I have now ranted on that topic in three different comments on three different blogs!

Anyway. (Or "anywho".) I'm glad you have a great place to work and have found a small way to help others.

Alexander said...

Also a new reader, and also a premish with SSA.

I guess that IQD is okay, it talks in plain-speak what life with SSA is like...but for me, it seemed like it offered nothing to do about one's own SSA. That's my only objection with it.

You sound like a great person. Keep it up!

Kengo Biddles said...

Loyalist you put a gay man or ssa-man in the running for that prize, and it's a hands-down win, 99.99% of the time. As if AtP had to try. ;)

Stephalumpagus said...

I don't know you, but I know someone who does and speaks highly of you. I can see why.

Elizabeth-W said...

Will you pleeeaaase keep posting the entertaining things people say? My fave was the "marrying a Baptist".

I sort of feel like that every time I walk into certain "inspirational" bookstores--that I'm going to be "outed" for being married to a heathen. ;)

Samantha said...

I'm hoping to see your introductions question on the next blog entry--preparing my comment in advance, of course.

When my husband finally realizes he's gay, I'm sending him to your bookstore, then I'm going to go flirt with your mom, okay?

epadavito said...

thats soo awesome that you said that to that lady getting the "in quiet desperation" book - I was totally smiling the whole time and was picturing how great that would be for somebody to show pure love and understanding to a complete stranger realizing that they're quite in fact not strangers because they are going through similar circumstances. If only everyone got that vibe - of YES! I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH...

pinetree said...

That's funny, I've had almost the exact same sort of experiences working at the BYU Bookstore.