Wait

Coolidge Corner is full of pedestrians, and I'm one of them. After being born and raised in suburbia, this ability to walk everywhere is a delight. Every day I run into someone I know, whether it be on my way to work, at the coffee shop, or when I'm getting a sandwich. I know you, you know me, we keep an eye out for one another. This is a very tangible community, and I'm glad to do my part in keeping it that way. 

During yesterday's event with Boston Globe's Scott Helman and Jenna Russell, I was standing next to one of our event coordinators and looking out at the crowd. It was a little after 7, and Katie was waiting for the right moment to start. I was getting worried because one of our regular event attendees, a polite older gentleman, hadn't shown up yet. He had sworn he would attend, and I asked her to wait a little bit longer. A few minutes later, we heard footsteps on the stairs and there he was. Katie started the event, no one was the wiser, I breathed a sigh of relief. 

Vignettes

I was walking in to our back rooms the other day with a piece of seaweed in my hand and one in my mouth when I passed Paul, who was holding a muffin in his hand, which was lovingly made by our store manager Dana. We looked at each other and started laughing. I should thank Dana for this, the fact that she has brought together a horde of snack-obsessed booksellers that are comfortable laughing at themselves.

A French woman came in to ask if we had any books about food trucks, and although we didn't have food truck specific books on hand I recommended L.A. Son by Roy Choi. Mei from the food truck Mei Mei Street Kitchen was browsing the Cooking section at the time and struck up a conversation with the woman. It turns out that the woman's son ran an Asian food truck in the south of France, and later that day she and her daughter-in-law went to visit Mei Mei Kitchen over in Audubon Circle. A chance meeting became a full-blown friendship.

A customer e-mailed us to ask if we could take a picture outside of the store to wish her boyfriend a happy birthday. Brookline Booksmith helped solidify their relationship--they bonded over their mutual love of our store, which continues even though they've moved from the area.

A few months ago, sidewalk renovations were being done right outside of the bookstore. I remember looking at the sidewalk, the concrete peeled away to reveal layers of brick underneath, remnants of Coolidge Corner's past. This space has gone from Paperback Booksmith to Brookline Booksmith within the past half-century, but before that this space used to be a grocery store and before that? I'll have to ask Marshall.

We're so aware that this is a place where people find each other, building friendships and relationships that continue long after you've set foot in this bookstore. The bookstore is the backdrop for several unfolding dramas, customers and employees alike. I could tell you so many little stories about this place, and you could do the same for me, vignettes coming together to make this bookstore all of ours.