I love when serendipity happens! I had my notes jotted for today’s blog post, then over the weekend an article in Inc. came through my newsfeed that tied right in. Sort of.

On Friday, a book I’d ordered from Park Road Books in Charlotte arrived. Once I opened the mailer, I was reminded why I support this small, independent bookstore.

Park Road Books, a small store tucked into an older strip mall, has been in business since 1977. It looks like an old English shop with multi-paned windows across the front, dark wood and rich colors inside, and of course the aisles of bookcases filled with books. When I saw the carboard wrapped around the book as added protection, I could picture one of the staff sitting in the raised sales area taking that extra second or two to write ‘Thank you!’ on the front. I believe he or she sincerely meant it.

Beneath the cardboard, the book was wrapped in strong paper, another layer to ward off scratches and rips. The wrapping job was better than most of my Christmas wrapping–I don’t ever seem to get the ends to line up right–with sharp edges and precise end folds. The book looked like a gift, wrapped by someone who loved the object inside, or the person receiving it. Wrapping probably added a minute or two to the shipping process.

Finally, the book in pristine condition.

Staff also send regular emails with updates on orders … and you can email back!  All those personal touches–the note, the extra time, the extra packing, the emails–are moments of going above and beyond what might be expected. (About the same day my book arrived, a friend posted on FB a photo of a package he’d received. It was a large box clearly marked ‘This side up’ but was not resting in that position.)

The Inc. article I read this weekend, What’s Behind the Return of Bookstores? was written by Howard Tullman. Mr. Tullman suggests two answers to the question. First, thanks to Covid, work from home, and businesses abandoning expensive office space, there’s low-cost rental space now available for bookstores to set up shop. Second, we consumers like the instant gratification of having our book in hand as soon as we purchase it, not even wanting to wait for overnight delivery from Amazon.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

I agree with Mr. Tullman … to a point. Tullman’s reasons address the bottom-line business decisions, and he touches briefly on his own enjoyment of walking among all the physical books in a brick-and-mortar store, versus swiping past virtual images on some device; but he doesn’t write anything about the personal, human interaction (and moments of going above and beyond) that comes from being in those stores, especially smaller, independently-owned ones. I believe that’s as important a reason as any other.

Park Roads is a Charlotte gathering space for several genre and topic-focused reading groups, and for author events for well-known writers like John Grisham, and the less famous locals like me. I stopped in once and they’d set up a book signing table for a cute, self-assured ten-year-old selling a book he’d written and self-published. They made nothing off the sales of his books, but they treated him like a little rock star. Maybe not John Grisham-style rock star, but still.  

I wasn’t sure where this post would end up when I first started taking notes, still not sure, but I know seeing that little message on the cardboard stopped me. I thought of how that simple gesture made my morning and made me think of the person who took the time to write it. Made me think about all the little gestures of interaction I have the opportunity to make throughout the day, and how often I do or don’t go above and beyond to follow through on them. (Which reminds me I really need to write a review for our favorite independently-owned breakfast spot.)

I thought about the blessings of small businesses, how they cater to their customers and really get to know them. My hometown history center is opening an exhibit about a baker who owned his own shop for 29 years. When The Galion History Center announced the Tony’s Pastry Shop exhibit, stories from all over popped up sharing memories of the aromas, the rich cream-filled pastries, the cakes and pies, but mostly about Tony himself. People remember his greeting from the back kitchen while still wearing his flour-covered apron, his European accent (he was born in Yugoslavia), and his ever-present smile. Tony’s in his 90s now (still bakes, just not in his own bakery) and will be present for the exhibit’s open house in his honor. It’s sure to be a packed event.

Unwrapping my book, I thought about all the recent articles, television interviews, essays on the advantages and fears of AI. I know, quite the leap! Maybe a computer generated or a robot wrote that note on the square of cardboard, but I don’t think so. We humans still crave what’s real, and every little ‘Thank You!’ every little gesture of going above and beyond reminds us of that.

Spring has long since arrived in the Carolinas! The scent of daffodils greets me whenever I leave the house or return. Thank you for stopping by my window; I hope the view outside yours is just as cheery. See you next week!