We were at McKay’s in Gainesville, Virginia, enjoying the atmosphere among the stacks of secondhand books with a swirl of all sorts of people devouring a common passion. Ava and d headed toward the kid’s section where they hit a motherlode of ‘Junie B. Jones’ which has totally enamored our daughter. Me, being in an essay and memoir frame of mind, I bought Roger Ebert’s Life Itself, E.L. Doctorow’s Creationists, Sloane Crosley’s How Did You Get This Number, and Facing Unpleasant Facts by George Orwell. I read so many fictional books as a freelancer that I find myself more and more in the non-fiction section for entertainment.
Small observation: it used to be when someone passed in front of you in an aisle there would be a polite, “Excuse me.” That was the norm … or at least it’s how I seem to remember it. Look, I’m not someone who longs for the good old days. I know people are people and remain largely unchanged, but I don’t believe I’m mistaken that common courtesies in libraries and bookstores were the standard and only occasionally would someone fail to live up to it. Agree? Disagree?
McKay's moved? Not surprising, given I haven't been to the old store in 20+ years.
ReplyDeleteWell done on the book haul, and I'm afraid I have to agree wth you, manners do seem to have slipped but I'm afraid in more than just bookshops. Fortunately those with manners intact still outnumber those who are a bit forgetful.
ReplyDeleteTodd, The McKay's I first went to was in Knoxville. Quick internet check shows they have expanded.
ReplyDeleteAlan, I hope you are right. But manners was losing yesterday though.
The post where David Cranmer admits he's old. ;-)
ReplyDeleteHa! Get off my lawn, Nemeth!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to read some George Orwell. I have been reading about "1984" ever since Trump came to power. I have not read E.L. Doctorow.
ReplyDeleteI definitely find manners to be lacking these days. Not so much in the stores, but more in the streets (pedestrian and driver).
ReplyDeleteI Are Writer!