Work
Told you I'd get to this eventually.
I've been a bookseller for a number of years now, the last
few for one of the two major chains. What was once a job
that gave me personal satisfaction has lately become one
that is just a source of income. Yes, I know, that is what all
jobs are. But when I first started working in bookstores, it was
work, yes, but it was fun.
It's no longer fun all the time. There are occasional flashes of
gratification, but for the most part, the pleasure is gone, lost
in a sea of paperwork and nitpicking and inconsistent mandates.
An online friend of mine has said she could picture me running
my own small bookstore someplace, discussing books with
customers.
I can too. Unfortunately, the reality is I'm two or three decades
too late for that dream. The big chains are the future.