Tuesday, February 18, 2025

INSIDE THE BOOKSTORE

 

Please excuse me if occasionally I repeat myself…If these words you’ve heard before…

but if you want a true depiction of what the world is like…go inside any bookstore.


Outside a bookstore there are people under the shadow of religion and politics

pretending they want everyone to be free…

but telling us what books we should read, who we should love

what color or gender we need to be.


Inside our bookstore yesterday I watched a man reading a book to his young son.

He read in English but spoke Spanish to him too…

because when people are blessed to speak two languages…this is often what they do!


But another young boy watching from across the store…through a pair of innocent eyes….

walked up to the man and said, “I don’t speak your language…but I would like to try.”


He said, “I know a little Spanish I can say Hola and Cumpleaños  too…” 

Do you know what they mean, the young man asked.

The little boy smiled, “I know hola means hello

but as to the other…I haven’t got a clue.”


The boy’s mother joined in their conversation…

and I was blessed with a front row seat…

right there in the bookstore…as I watched two cultures meet.


Outside the bookstore there are people trying to destroy 

our uniqueness…our beautiful medley…our diversity…

Inside the bookstore we are happy to welcome and embrace all three


Which makes me wonder…if we could see the world as one vast bookstore

a bookstore without any walls.

where each one of is our own book with our own unique stories 

our own chapters large and small…


Then we would all be inside a bookstore….

as it stretches from sea to shining sea….

celebrating each book for it’s beauty and its diversity…

the way our creators meant us to be.


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