Choosing Choice
There come times in a person's life when they must make a Choice. I realize that we all make choices on the daily--white or wheat, right or left, this blouse or that one. And while these choices matter, to me they are "c"hoices with a lower case "c". We make them, change them, ignore them (do I really NEED this second scoop of ice cream?), and move on about our regular lives.
But there are times in our lives when we must make a "C"hoice with a capital "C". These ones are biggies, they are scary, they are bold (at least to us), and they matter. They really matter. Those Choices are what define who we are, and they reflect our belief systems to the world. As I write this, I realize that not everyone's capital "C" Choices are the same as mine and to them they are no less important or significant. Regardless, these Choices matter personally, solely, and individually. They reflect who we are and who we want to be. And, yes, we are judged on our choices/Choices. But more importantly, we live with our choices/Choices and we see the effect that they have on our own world view and the path that we walk.
Rediscovered Books makes lots of "c" choices in what we curate, how the store looks, etc., but these also reflect our "C" Choices. We curate and showcase books that reflect the breadth of human experience to open the world for others to see and to reflect who we are, who are customers are, and who we hope to be. As was stated in a previous blog, representation matters. And for us that means people being able to see themselves in books and stories. Our "C" Choice is to read books, carry books, and share books with the world. All kinds of books. Our "C" Choice is to provide a place where books and people meet--all kinds of books and all kinds of people. If you come in and see us, you may very well meet books and people that are comfortable and familiar to you. Then again, you may come in and meet books and people that are neither familiar nor comfortable to you (at least, not right away). And that is okay too.
Books harness this power more so than any other medium. When books and people meet, doors and window open. As books change hands, stories are passed into the network of the human family. We do not pass these books and stories on lightly or without consideration. We pass them on with intent and purpose. As books change hands, worlds expand, our circle of humanity grows, and we, the readers, become a part of something larger than ourselves. Sometimes these steps are comfortable and effortless and sometimes they are not. And our personal choice to make the Choice to lean into that discomfort is where the most glorious things happen.
As we read books to share books and grapple with stories of every stripe, we build a community. We become a family chocked full of varied human experiences and ever-changing world views. We become a family that adds chairs to an ever-growing table rather than one that adds bricks to an ever-taller wall. That is what Rediscovered Books strives to be every day with every book.