Catholic Christian Book & Gift Store
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Quality Not Quantity

Posted: July 15th, 2008

Ah, the summer is here. We, who live in Vancouver, probably appreciate this hot dry weather more than most. It’s been a l o n g dreary winter and spring. So, everyone is out and about as they should be. And that means it’s quiet in the store. I mean q u i e t.

Some days it’s just me and the locals who fall into the store for a cold drink or a respite from the hot sun. The last couple of days have been just that. There is Ms. B, who you know from previous stories, she’s been in quite abit and really seems to be more at peace with her life…my young friend Miss. S. lives in a group home around the corner, she is far away from her family in the Northwest Territories. She lives on cigarettes and coca-cola (which she sometimes asks if she can have for free and mostly purchases) and I know she misses her family so much. I have no doubt she is where God needs her to be but she sure misses her family. She talks about them alot. I’ve learned quite abit about the north. And Mr. V., came in today. I haven’t seen him since he last stopped in to let me know how unhappy he was because he was relegated to a bread and water diet because of a heart condition. He still walks everyday from the Foyer Mallairdville as do so many of the residents there. He looks good but he still has some health challenges. I learned that one of their residents who used to stop in quite abit passed away last month. Makes me very sad. She was a dear sweet lady. Never married and very lonely she and I shared many wonderful visits. I will miss her.

So, these are my summer days. Interspersed with customers looking for wedding or baptism gifts, parents looking for things to entertain children on the drive to the vacation spot, or people looking for that good book to relax with, I get to sit in my little store and listen to people. Somebody told me that people just don’t listen anymore, too busy talking, talking, talking and not listening. There might not be as much traffic in the store right now but, it is about quality not quantity after all, right? I just keep telling myself that and it makes every day such an adventure.