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Friday, June 4, 2010

JJ: I Hate Responsibility

But I've got one I never really planned on.

Funny, I spent years making sure I was here to open the store on time and sell books, but I always thought I was doing it for myself to make a living. Finally, after 32 years, I realize I am doing it for my customers. They expect me to be here, they depend on me, and I have a responsibility to them.

I deal with the elderly, the down-and-out, retirees and college students, all kinds of folks who love books and are limited in what they can spend.

I am about the last source of used books around Kalispell, and every day the folks that come in tell me they don't what they'd do if the store wasn't here. I guess this is the only good source of affordable books in a radius of a hundred miles.

Yeah, the store regularly draws customers in from Cranbrook to Ronan and from Browning to Troy.

I feel appreciated, and needed, and I guess this is a rare thing in a career or job, but it scares me a little too.

Hopefully the store will go on after I am gone. I can't quite dredge up the attitude of my old friend who said "I don't care what happens after I'm gone, I ain't gonna be here."

Retirement doesn't seem to be an option for me either. First, I can't afford it, but most importantly I don't know what I'd do for fun. I know from experience that I can get tired of hunting and fishing and camping and traveling, but I've put in over sixteen hundred weeks of peddling books in this building and am still not tired of it. I'd like to keep on doing this till I am carried out in a stretcher, a strait jacket or handcuffs.

I love my job.

And I'm gonna post this now before I over-edit it or delete it. Let the reader beware.

TBC

"Memento mori"

(Me)

2 comments:

Jean&Vic said...

As much as responsibility might grate, you as a result of what you do in your store, and appreciated more than just a bit. I send people down to see you before I send them to a new book store, and you can scold me for it later. you are worth the time for anybody with a brain to visit, and if they don't have one before they walk in the door, I bet one will have started growing before they leave. you have that kind of an affect on people. More you actually care about what you do, and try to help. not something that can be said for the new book stores you might visit, where the employees are apid by the hour. that is not to say all are bad, but you understand the point, you do what you do, not so much for the money, but for love of books. That alone endears you to many, the fact you have a brain and are not afraid to use it, well, that just gets you into trouble ;-) After all that, there is something I do worry about. I don't discuss it much as I know it comes to us all eventually, and that is the time you decide to check out. we have talked about it before, and much as I will respect your wishes on the subject, I still have not desire to see you leave. take that for what it is worth. now before I start to getting all soppy and sappy, I am off an out of here,
V

Anonymous said...

I don't think Jim will be leaving us anytime soon - he has too many cookies and brownies and other baked goods to sample! I'll keep him around through pure sugar rush. :D

Besides, I hate to lose family.

...And access to that many books. ;D

Love you, James. <3

 
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