Bookstores and I really do not go hand in hand... like apples and oranges. Some think it is funny and others pity me. I just dislike reading, whether books or magazines; Maybe it is because I am a product of the "media" generation. The television, telephone, and internet are my sources for obtaining information, and contrary to what people might think, the tube definitely entertains and stimulates certain parts of my brain. So as you can see, when a teacher has an assignment for me to go to a bookstore, not just to buy a book for class, but also to sit and read in one, I consider it to be a double whammy. However, for me to complete this assignment, I had to disregard my discomfort, act like I was interested, and guess what? I actually enjoyed the experience.

I walked into Dutton's that evening loaded with every excuse in the book about why I couldn't stay and read the essay there. I gave myself the excuse of the weather being bad, I'd just recently got over the flu, I can't be out in the rain, I'll get sick again. It was getting late and traffic was about to get real heavy and I didn't want to be stuck in traffic all night long. How would Mr. Wallis know if I read the book in

the store or not? On and on I went, excuse after excuse I gave myself, until it hit me. The door that is, shutting out the noise and rush of traffic on Laurel Canyon Boulevard. The discomfort of getting to the bookstore was greater than actually being in it. Never having experienced Dutton's before, the first thing I did naturally was to make my way to the nearest sales person. This young guy, I forgot his name, led me through stacks of books piled pretty high, and rows of bookshelves alongside me so narrow that I felt as if I was in a creepy labyrin!

My mother, being an educator, always told me that I could be whoever I wanted to, or would be able to travel to anyplace I wished. All I had to do was open a book. She, as well as my father, both love to read. I see them both lying next to each other in bed, individually enamored with a paperback between, their hands. I guess now I am able to ask, were they each on their own journey? Or were they just letting a writers imagination guide them on theirs? Looking back, I can't imagine that I even had discomfort at being in a bookstore, or having to act interested in one. I ca not argue with the fact that I enjoyed my the Dutton's experience. Thank you Mr. Wallis, for kindling the light that only a reader can ignite.

I was handed the books that I had requested, and I thanked him for his help. He asked if I needed something else. I replied that I was fine and would just like to continue exploring this unusual setup of a bookstore. It's funny to me because before entering my journey, I kne

Some common words found in the essay are:
MIRROR Bookstores, Freddy Krueger's, Maybe Maybe, Fly's Deloreon, Canyon Boulevard, Nah Jonathan, Ok Dutton's, Thank Wallis, Eyed Willie's, thanked help,
Approximate Word count = 1053
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)