We moved over to our new place a few weeks back. Getting my office set up -- mostly books! -- has been pretty high on my priorities list since we arrived. I ran into a bit of a problem, though, because the bookcases came with more shelves than hardware to hold them up.
I went to one of those big hardware stores, where I was met at the door by a friendly fellow who offered to help me find things. I need some of those little doohickeys that stick into holes and hold up bookshelves, I told him. Ah, yes, he said with a smile of recognition, and pointed to a distant spot. Look in aisle 17, about halfway back, on the left.
Seriously? There are about a bazillion aisles filled with shelves upon shelves of screws, light bulbs, lawn mowers, plants, appliances, doorbells, carpet, lumber, network cables, and everything in between. He could direct me not just to the proper department, but within arm's reach of the little doohickeys I sought? As it turns out, yes, he could.
We humans are complex creatures living in a complex world. Little shelf doohickeys are a small thing in the greater scheme of things, but that interaction brightened my day. Like handing a package to the UPS guy and tracking its journey -- across the country in just a matter of days on multiple vehicles and through various warehouses! -- the guy at the hardware store provided a wonderful reminder of often-unseen order, and in the process, nurtured hope.
And now my books are home, too :)
I went to one of those big hardware stores, where I was met at the door by a friendly fellow who offered to help me find things. I need some of those little doohickeys that stick into holes and hold up bookshelves, I told him. Ah, yes, he said with a smile of recognition, and pointed to a distant spot. Look in aisle 17, about halfway back, on the left.
Seriously? There are about a bazillion aisles filled with shelves upon shelves of screws, light bulbs, lawn mowers, plants, appliances, doorbells, carpet, lumber, network cables, and everything in between. He could direct me not just to the proper department, but within arm's reach of the little doohickeys I sought? As it turns out, yes, he could.
We humans are complex creatures living in a complex world. Little shelf doohickeys are a small thing in the greater scheme of things, but that interaction brightened my day. Like handing a package to the UPS guy and tracking its journey -- across the country in just a matter of days on multiple vehicles and through various warehouses! -- the guy at the hardware store provided a wonderful reminder of often-unseen order, and in the process, nurtured hope.
And now my books are home, too :)
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