Anyhow, about reading. it's a love. And, a bookstore just the same. In each of the city's I've lived, there has always been- "my" bookstore. While in Japan I fell in love with the library, mostly because they had a decent English section. Up until that point, library's were only for school research papers before the internet. Bookstores seemed much cooler. I remember on weekends, especially in middle school, my mom would drop me off at Barnes & Noble, where I'd hang for hours, just down the street from our house. These were the days before having the cafe's inside, so I guess I didn't eat or drink, but would just wander the aisles-- through the magazines looking at all the crazy options (subcultures!) other days in fiction. My insatiable hunger-study of Astrology began right there on the floor of B&N, in front of the Astrology section. The selection was sparse in those days either, it used to be one three-shelf case. Next to it was the same size of New Age, which I would take a look at on my way to "Self- Improvement" which is where I found many of the books that sit on my shelf today. My classics. Marianne Williamson A Return to Love, Caroline Myss's Anatomy of the Spirit, Carlos Ruiz Castenenda, The Book of Knowledge All of these book stole me eight away. So did, Rumi.
The cabin is my favorite place to read these days, and this past weekend, our wicker chair, pulled outside to the deck and stuffed with living room cushions- became my bookstore. Picking up "A Year with Rumi" that I bought at Borders in college in Tallahassee. I've had the book for quite a while and, until Sunday, I had never read the Introduction. Honestly, I don't think I've read too many Introductions (stereotyping makes me miss out!) and that's way too bad because, I feel more in love with the book, and have more respect for the author/translator Coleman Barks) In the Intro by Coleman Barks, he shares about his path and beliefs in a casual, yet impactful way. He spoke of growing up and having "Soulbooks." I'd never heard that word before until Sunday, but it makes sense. The poems of Rumi have been apart of his "soulbook" collection for decades.
There in his Introduction, he shared his love of a teacher who first shared with him, Emily Dickinson's,
Some keep the Sabbath going to Church
I keep it, staying at Home-
With a Bobolink for a Chorister-
And an Orchard, for a Dome.
Some keep the Sabbath in Surplice-
I, just wear my Wings-
And instead of tolling the bell, for Church,
Our little Sexton-sings.
God preaches, a noted Clergyman-
And the sermon is never long-
So instead of getting to Heaven, at last-
I'm going, all along.
And so it is, reading and bookstores may just be my church.
Perhaps for some, it is a building with singing at the traditional church we think of. Maybe fishing for others and dancing for another. Perhaps its something completely unique to each us, it makes sense that way, really. They do say that no snowflake is like any other.
