Spontaneous Friday

When my daughter was 18 months old she threw up on me. Now I’m not talking about a tiny little spittle on a shirt sleeve, I’m talking a full blown Linda Blair ala The Exorcist.

On the bright side my daughter wasn’t cursed by a demon. It was just one of those stomach-throw up issues every 18 month old gets. On the other hand one can never be one hundred percent certain when it comes to Linda Blair head twirling thingy’s. On the bright side not once did I find her floating north of her bed.

What does all this have to do with my current installment of Spontaneous Friday? Absolutely nothing. The memory simply floated to the surface of my memory bank causing an incredible need to share. You’re welcome.

On the plus side of this throwing up story, if you’re a parent chances are you’ve been there. On the other hand if you’re not a parent but you’re seriously considering it I may have changed your mind into believing wine, solitude and bookstores are the best way to live.

Speaking of bookstores, the other day I was walking through my favorite store when I noticed a little boy standing near a row of books. His eyes were as big as saucers, his mouth curled into a grin. If his thoughts were to suddenly appear like subtitles in a movie I have no doubt they would have read – I’m in the greatest place ever!

When I was little we didn’t have a bookstore. We had a mall. I remember one of the stores had a row of books and magazines. I also remember they were located near the records. I was allowed to pick one and sometimes the choice between a song and a book was close to impossible.

On the day I became a dad I already had a day in her future planned. There she was, less than an hour old and I knew one day her and I would share a day in a bookstore.

What I love about bookstores is the feeling I get the moment I walk inside. I love the smell, the creaking floors and the sound of the rain. Sometimes the owner will open the door allowing the sound and sight of be seen and heard. If I could bottle it up I would take it home.

Luckily our town is blessed with several bookstores. You can go to every corner of our town and find one nearby. Google Eugene, Oregon bookstores and you’ll see what I mean.

It’s one of the few experiences in life where I’m a child again. I’m a little boy with eyes as big as saucers. My imagination runs wild. A little too wild to be honest. Once I caught myself pretending the characters were standing in the aisle talking to one another.

I just gave you an idea for a story. Use it!!!

I can still remember the first time my daughter stepped inside a bookstore. She gently touched every book she saw and carefully moved on to the next. In her young mind I wondered if she understood everything she touched was a piece of magic. I remember her big blue eyes looking up at me and in that moment I knew she did.

When you think about it nobody has ever created what we do. Our characters are unlike any character anyone will ever read.

The stories we discover in bookstores and the ones you and I write are one of a kind. They are a part of us. They are bits and pieces unlike anything anyone has ever seen. We create magic every day and someday our magic will find its way in a little bookstore with creaky floors and dusty carpets.

 So if you’re having a day where your ideas are stuck, the words all wrong, your imagination on hold, try to imagine if you will a small child or a big child like me holding the magic that you created.

Bookstores are not only a place full of stories they are full of dreams that come true. Not only for the writer but the reader as well.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some bookstores I need to visit. It’s a nice rainy day and a perfect day for magic.

 

Enjoy your Friday, everyone. Thank you for stopping by.

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