Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Books, Ambience & My Soul...

Although most of the time I usually moan about my job, today I'm very happy. The shop has been quiet, almost deathly, so I've found myself happily pricing books and unpacking parcels in relative quiet and tranquility. There've been a few phonecalls, and a few customers, but it's mostly been quiet.

That's what I enjoy most about my job, the fact that I have "spaces" in the day where I can chill even though I'm still working away, chances to think and ponder and reflect, and sometimes even to people watch! The front of our shop is all glass windows, so you can look out on the people scurrying by, usually in a hurry.

There's something very therapeutic and peaceful in watching other people rush about madly outside, while you quietly and consistently at an unhurried pace get on with your work. Don't misunderstand, I'm not a slacker, and I certainly don't dawdle, but I take the time to enjoy my work while I'm doing it. Of course it's not always like that, and as a Christian Bookshop, we tend to be busier than most, but there's still the small bookshop atmosphere of unhurriedness and the sense of being surrounded by the written word... it's hard to explain.

I guess I've always been a reader since I was very little, and books and the written word have always been a source of inspiration and challenge for me, so it seems natural that I should continue to work in a field that deals with the written word.

I have a job interview next week for a Supervisory role in a much larger bookshop, and despite what I've just said, I'm looking forward to it. The ethos of this company seems to connect with what I feel about books, and I'm excited at the prospect of potentially working for them. I have been in this present job now for over 8 years, and there comes a time when, no matter how much you enjoy it, it's time to move on and find something new. I'm hoping I'll be successful, because I really would like this job. Even though it will probably be different hours, (being a bigger store, it's open way longer) and although I'd have to travel a bit longer each day, I think I would really like to work there.

Part of the attraction for me to be honest is just the fact that it's not Christian! I have been brought up in the Church, and all my friends and social circle are connected with church, and I've been feeling for a while like I'm living in a little Christian bubble. For me, my faith in Jesus has become something other than a religious thing recently, and I've been feeling the disparity between "being Christian" in my speech, and actually living it out as a way of life.

We'll have to wait and see what happens, I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, but I really would like this job...

4 comments:

  1. It's tough to run a life as an interrupt driven exercise. For me, it can be weeks of flipping between tasks that have bubbled up to critical status ... then nothing for a week or two. Drives me batty.

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  2. Best of luck, Hobbs! I'll be rootin' for 'ya!

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  3. Sarah - I hope so! let's hope they don't discrimate based on height!!

    MdMhVonPA - I know, the disparity in frequency of tasks and projects sometimes annoys me too!!

    Arty - thankyou, I think I need all the help I can get!!

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