Sunday 1 June 2014

Warning, this is a rant!

Now I'm sure I won't normally do this, but I have to get this off my chest...

Yesterday, after work I went to my local bookshop to pick up a new gem, so I could curl up in the sun and have a read, I go through the door and find it distressingly empty and promptly start a half hour chat with the wonderful owner. The door is propped open, so the warm sun and the bustled of the street can filter into the shop, whilst people stick there head round the door and say hello. As the door was open, this means we heard perfectly clearly the interaction to follow. A small girl and her mother walk past, and the girl looks in, and peers at the books in the window and says  "Mum please can we go in and look at the books?" Perhaps more of a statement than a question but hey ho, the mothers response "Nah, I can't be bothered with that" And I'm being generous with that because it honestly sounded more like 'bovered'.

Excuse me, but WHAT!?!?!?!

How could she say that? How could she not encourage her young impressionable daughter to read? Reading is good for everyone, it is part of every known school curriculum for a reason, it expands minds and vocabulary of minds young and old. The ability to read is a gift, you can escape into completely different worlds and amaze at what you find, be it adventure, love or magic. Even if her daughter just wanted to pick up 'Where's Wally?' it still means the girl would be comfortable with books around and doesn't find them daunting or boring, like so many children. What if now, without new material the girl looses her interest in reading, and ends up disinterested, and like her slobbish mother? Needless to say I was shocked and infuriated by the mothers response. I turn and look at the the owner and see a similar expression of shock and something akin to sorrow.

After a few minutes of silence, we gather ourselves and he then tells me of and incident in the shop earlier in the month. A lady walked in, phone in hand and browsed the shelves clearly looking for something in particular, the owner asks if he can help and she tells him what she is looking for, he finds it and hands it to her to let her have a look. A minutes later the woman heads out of the shop, the owner asked if the book wasn't the one she wanted, her response was "Oh yes that was it, thanks, I've ordered it now"!?!?!?!?! She went into the shop purely to find the ISBN number so she could order it, there in the very shop with the book in hand. Why didn't she just buy it then? I can only presume it was cheaper on line.

I find both of these incidents, a sad reflection on today's society, a mother who couldn't be asked to indulge a child imagination and education, and a woman who couldn't see past her phone and the need for a bargain, that she didn't realise how unforgivably rude she had just been.

All in all, the message of this, I don't know, think maybe? Or just support your local small shops? But I feel better for having typed this out, because sometimes you just want to go ARGHHHHHHH! PEOPLE!!!!

Normal posts will resume next week, I intend to get my first recipe up by Wednesday, thank you for those who are reading this around the world, in particular hello *wave* , the US, France, Germany, India and the fabulous UK :D

Love
The CB


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