Even As Winter Approaches

"Father's Day" books at Barnes&Noble

I used to frequent bookstores often, but now that most of my reading is done electronically I rarely darken their doors. Today I spent a couple of hours at Barnes & Noble and remembered why that used to be one of my favorite pastimes.

By displaying wares that one can touch and browse, bookstores---and libraries---tempt me to reach for books that would not have popped up in a search request. I toss them into the basket, and so it is that I have many more books than I'll ever be able to read. The half-completed and never-opened volumes on the nightstand may, to some, represent unrealized ambition. As winter approaches, I prefer to think of them as a sign of life's endless possibilities. © 2013 Stephen Yuen