Magical Moments

This June while in Denver, I went to the Tattered Cover Bookstore on 16th Street. It ended up being my own piece of heaven here on earth.

Something was different, special if you will. Something about the way the staff member each wrote a note and recommendations on some of the books. The worn and well-loved furniture scattered throughout the store. Maybe it was the laid back nature of the customers in this particular location. Or the layout of books on the shelves – a great deal of them front facing rather than staring at all spines. The disorganized organization of the store kept me engaged and wandering the shelves throughout sections I do not generally venture into.

I spent well over three hours in that store – paroozing, reading, and observing. It was as if I had entered a magical land, Narnia for adults perhaps. I was whisked away and immersed in the busy atmosphere that seemed to slow time.

Perhaps I just needed that time and books have always been a source of escape for me. I came to this conclusion after seeing this same bookstore in the Denver airport a few days later. The store was rather lackluster. I was thoroughly disappointed and felt like I had just learned that *spoiler alert* – Santa is not real. Oh well, next time I will stick to the 16th street location and indulge in the magical atmosphere, hopefully it will still be there.