Zen 18

Hey Kids, sorry it's been a while. I took a little break from the zen since (and I know this is hard for you all to believe, but) interesting things just don't happen EVERY day.

HOWEVER, there was this gem of an interaction that I had to share with you all. Sorry if some of you have already heard about this in person.

The other day at work, I was wrapping some gifts in the back room when I heard the bell ring at the Will Call window. I stopped what I was doing, turned the corner and saw an older man (at least in his mid to late seventies) standing at the window...barely taller than the counter. He had gray hair down to his chin, a bit of a scruffy beard, a hat and an army jacket. I asked how I could help him and he let me know that he'd ordered a book through our store that should be waiting for him, but he also had a book in his hands ready to purchase.

Shakily, he placed the book he'd picked out from the shelves on the counter. It was a book called "Sex on the Brain." I did a small (but hopefully unnoticable) double take before I asked for his last name so I could find the book we had special ordered for him. I found the book in our Will Call shelves and it was this giant coffee table picture book called "Naked Ambition"....The cover was a picture of two scantily clad women holding hands....it was a photo documentary of the Porn industry.

I hope you all can appreciate how hard I worked not to let any emotion or look of surprise surface on my face. I really tried.

As I handed him the coffee table book, he asked if he could have a few minutes to look at it while he decided whether or not he was going to purchase it. I said "sure, that would be fine, just let me know when you're ready and I can ring you up back here." It was at that moment I realized I needed to be careful and not say anything to this man that might be taken as a double entendre. He replied quickly though "No! That's okay, you can stay here, I'll only take a minute."

Of course.

So I waited patiently as this older man flipped through the large glossy pages of pornographic images... asking my opinion about a few of them. I really tried my best to avert my eyes. I promise you, I did NOT want any of those images burned into my retinas...

After what seemed like ten minutes (but was probably thirty seconds) the man decided NOT to purchase "Naked Ambition" but he did buy "Sex on the Brain."

All in a day's work, I guess. I should ask my supervisor if it's in my job description to look at porn with old men. I should get a raise.