I have a new home! Or a home away from home. Braun Books in Cedar City, Utah has stolen my heart. I have been shopping there for over 13 years.
Things are a little different on this side of the counter, but I have been wanting to own a bookstore for a long time.
One of the most surreal feelings you will ever have in your life is living your dream.
It comes in two parts, first the dream like not quite real quality your life takes on, but also the sheer sense of panic when you realize you have no idea what you are doing.
The panic is easy to deal with. The joy overcomes everything else. I can't help feeling like I am doing what I was meant to do. On the other hand I am doing something that I never had to do before. Selling to people. Talking about books has long been a passion of mine and in the past month I have gotten so many compliments about my passion, but it is hard to not wonder if people think I have an ulterior motive. Probably only a few people worry about my motives, but it always haunts my thoughts.
It isn't always true that living your dreams means you are successful. I had to consider that before I went into this venture. What is the future of bookstores? After trying out working at Braun Books I decided one thing, bookstores aren't dying. Not independently owned community oriented bookstores. These stores provide something that online and big box can't. A smile and a recommendation and an exuberance that can never come from an online experience.
It is in my own best interest to believe bookstores are alive and well, but I would like to think it is a little bit more than wishful thinking.
 |
| And now I am the boss! |
One of the most surreal feelings you will ever have in your life is living your dream.
It comes in two parts, first the dream like not quite real quality your life takes on, but also the sheer sense of panic when you realize you have no idea what you are doing.
The panic is easy to deal with. The joy overcomes everything else. I can't help feeling like I am doing what I was meant to do. On the other hand I am doing something that I never had to do before. Selling to people. Talking about books has long been a passion of mine and in the past month I have gotten so many compliments about my passion, but it is hard to not wonder if people think I have an ulterior motive. Probably only a few people worry about my motives, but it always haunts my thoughts.
It isn't always true that living your dreams means you are successful. I had to consider that before I went into this venture. What is the future of bookstores? After trying out working at Braun Books I decided one thing, bookstores aren't dying. Not independently owned community oriented bookstores. These stores provide something that online and big box can't. A smile and a recommendation and an exuberance that can never come from an online experience.
It is in my own best interest to believe bookstores are alive and well, but I would like to think it is a little bit more than wishful thinking.
I want to believe that bookstores are alive and well, too... It would be a sad world if they didn't exist.
ReplyDeleteSO AWESOME!!
ReplyDeleteI am so excited for you, Megan! I wish there was a store like yours near me. I'd be there every week--at least!
ReplyDeleteYou are living my dream too! Much luck to you!!
ReplyDeleteGood for you! I promise to stop in the next time we visit Utah.
ReplyDeleteWow, so cool, I totally wanna own a book store (and comic book shop)! Have you seen the semi-recent articles about Kepler's in SF and there used to be a series of articles about the finances for a Brooklyn indie that opened up a few years ago.
ReplyDeletehttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304023504577320111540950118.html?mod=wsj_share_tweet_bot
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/praveen-madan/why-did-we-quit-our-cushy_b_308265.html (2009)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/arts-post/post/how-to-save-an-indie-bookstore-day-1/2012/07/27/gJQAwMN0DX_blog.html
(Sorry for the deluge, I just read a lot of bookstore-y articles!)