The Diary - September 5

The Diary

September 5, 2026

Bamboozled.

I ignored the signs.  The call from out of state to purchase 25 books.  The fact that the first credit card did not work.  The fact that a second credit card did not work.  The fact that multiple credit cards were used to make the purchase, which ultimately was broken down into three transactions. Maybe I ignored the signs because the man was purchasing  beautiful annotated Bibles for a fellowship program.  So, I ordered the Bibles and packed them. The purchaser sent me FedEx labels.  I printed them and placed them on the boxes.  FedEx came and took the boxes. Off they went.  To Nigeria. I know. But I did not want to judge.

Then the notices came. My point-of-sale company emailed me that  the credit card holder was disputing the purchases.  I sent copies of backup correspondence and photos of the Bibles boxed and ready to go.  The point-of-sale firm removed a thousand dollars from my bank  account and told me the funds would be held until the dispute was resolved.  This week, I learned that the cardholder has prevailed and the funds will not be returned.  They will be used to reimburse the credit cardholder. I emailed the purchaser asking him to make me whole. He has not responded.

Delighted.

Over the past three months, I have recommended two books to a man I met while opening the bookstore. He is gregarious, curious, kind, gentlemanly, smart, and unabashedly sentimental. I had read both books and thought they suited his personality.

He  loved the first book. He texted this week telling me the second book was a hit as well.  That came as a relief.  He even quoted a favorite passage from the book.  Then he shared something that truly moved me. He wrote, “Thank you for reigniting my love of reading.”