Thursday, July 10, 2008

The Coop

Yesterday I was on my way to the Border Cafe in Harvard Square to meet some friends for dinner. I arrived about 30 minutes early and decided I would take the opportunity to check out some new reading material at the Coop. If you have been to the Coop you know what it looks like. If you have not, I'll describe it briefly. It's a jam packed bookstore. There are shelves everywhere with all kinds of subject matter and all kinds of people. The shelves are placed close together and there is usually one chair at the end of each book case. It's tight quarters; that's all I'm saying. Yesterday was no exception.

I like to spend some time looking at some of the newly released paperbacks. I'm always fascinated at what can be marketed as non-fiction. I understand how it's done, but I find it interesting how people don't think about it and just take it as fact. That's another tangent for another day. There is a section of the bookstore where the staff recommendations are set aside. This area usually has one or two interesting selections highlighted.

Yesterday there was a book of compiled essays of revolution and other inspirational paradigm shifting thoughts. I was leaning up against the book case looking at the contents of the book. There was a woman about four feet away from me sitting in a chair. As I looked at the contents I remembered that I needed to send a text to a friend of mine changing the time of our meeting. So I took out my phone and sent the text. As I put my phone away I noticed the woman in the chair. She was standing up staring at me with very paranoid eyes (if you know paranoid people you know paranoid eyes). She turns to me and says, "Did you just take a picture of me?" I just looked back at her and said, "excuse me?" I was thinking--are you serious? She repeated the question and I told her no. I told her I sent a text to a friend of mine. She then proceeded to tell me that I was standing way too close to her and my phone was open directly in her direction. I think I was smiling (probably--a problem of mine when I find myself in situations like this). She looked at me angrily and told me that people had taken her picture before. She then backed away from me staring me down.

It was a memorable moment.

7 comments:

k8 said...

that is hilarious. you know you totally took a photo of her ; )

ju said...

i wish you would have just said "yes" and then turned and walked away. that would have been awesome.

what a weirdo.

The Thomas Family said...

Funny. If only you could have told her what you were thinking...

miss lena's pie said...

Love the story. Especially how you explained in detail the atmosphere of the shop and then the end of your post to me was really unexpected, I thought it was gonna be about the revolutionary books! Hey Linda, I miss you!! You were in my dream last night. You had bought something new that you really loved and was talking about it in a very enthusiastic way. Hope youre doing wudunderously well and having a really looovely summer!

Likely said...

This sounds like a movie. A movie I would like to see. I am glad you weren't mean and said something like, "why would I want to take YOUR picture?"

You know what would have been funny? REALLY funny? If as soon as she asked you if you took her picture, you looked up at her and quickly turned and ran out the door and sprinted down the street. I would pay good money to see that girl run after you...

Allison said...

after you said 'i was leaning up against the book case...' i thought you were going to write that the book case fell over and then it knocked over all the other book cases creating a domino effect. but then i continued reading and it was a total surprise ending. that is a much better story than my predictable story!! i wish you would've taken a picture of her because i am just picturing the lady looking like the old lady in 'the princess bride' who boos buttercup in her dream. that's some crazy eyes.

Emily said...

wow... i echo everyone else i thought it was going somewhere else and when it didn't i wish you would have told her yes :) ha!