The Diary
October 31, 2026
The gentleman parked his truck in front of the shop on Thursday and hopped out. He asked for directions to a local coffee shop. I pointed out the “Coffee” sign for CxT down the street. Before he could take more than a couple steps, I told him that he needed to feed the parking meter as the city ticketed scofflaws. He hesitated for a moment. “Don’t worry,” I said. “I have a quarter in my pocket. I’ll plug the meter for you. You’ll have 15 minutes to grab your coffee.” He warmly thanked me and headed down the block.
I fed the meter and sat down at the bistro table outside the shop and sipped my coffee. Moments later, the gentleman returned coffee in hand. He was in town for the Bulldog Club of America National Show. His company, Puppy Warmers, manufactures incubators for puppies. He asked about the store and I escorted him inside. He typically did not read fiction but wanted me to recommend a novel. I asked about his interests. He graciously purchased three books I have been handselling since opening the store, The Correspondent, Theo of Golden, and I See You’ve Called in Dead.
We discussed the challenges of running a small business. His company was recalibrating, slimming down its manufacturing and focusing on core competencies to meet the challenges of higher shipping costs and an uncertain economy. He complimented me on the shop and stressed that I should explain my “why” to the public as part of my marketing efforts. He then offered to do a testimonial for the shop, which I filmed with him standing in front of the bird-on-books mural. It wasn’t quite ten o’clock, the Reading Room had not officially “opened,” but the day had gotten off to a lovely start.
Saturday afternoon, the gentleman reappeared. Sales had gone well at the show, and he was heading back to Michigan. He told me he was really enjoying The Correspondent and thanked me for that recommendation. “You know,” he said, “I’ve fallen a little in love with this community.”