I see a big heavyset dude in overalls come in and I assume he’ll beeline right to the gun magazine section of our store – rural area so you kind of got a feel of where people would go once they walked in.

I didn’t initially pay him much attention. I turn around from checking a person out at the main register area and he’s standing there waiting his turn patiently.

Me: “How can I help you?”

Customer: “I have a book on order held back for me. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.”

This kind of catches me by surprise that a man that looks like a country bumpkin is picking this particular book up, and in my head, I assume it’s for his wife.

I find the book and start ringing him up and chatting with him, and realize the book is in fact for him. I’ll never forget what he said because even though it was such a small moment in life it changed me a little bit.

Customer: “I think it’s important to read books like this about other cultures than ours. The news always makes the Afghan people seem so bad, but his (Khaled Hosseini) first book Kite Runner gives a good glimpse of what life was like over there and made me think twice about how I was judging those people.”

Talk about making me feel like an a**hole! Here I was judging him for how he looked and he goes and pulls this on me.

I purchased “Kite Runner” that day and read it and it set into motion a lot of thoughts I had about how I judge and look at others. To this day I try my best to see the position others might be in before I judge them unfairly, and I often fail at not judging people based on how they look, but I now try to remind myself when I do how unfair it is.

It was only a two-minute interaction with this man that I had never seen before and will never see again, but d*** if it hasn’t likely made me a better person as a result.

I am the author of this story. As promised, here is another story of working in this American bookstore in Paris thirty years ago.

One day, I notice a client behaving in an odd manner. He is staying around the table where we have the recommended books and picking them up, covering part of the book with his hand, mumbling something while shaking his head, and then putting the book back.

I approach and offer the usual friendly request:

Me: “May I help you with anything?”

The client looks at me and then looks back at the books. He grabs one them.

Client: “It’s unbelievable, isn’t it?”

He puts his hand on the cover, removes it, and puts it back again. I do not remember the book precisely, but I think President Bill Clinton was on the cover.

Client: “They really seem human — until you cover half their face!”

He puts back his hand on the cover and removes it again, and I notice that he is actually covering the bottom part of Clinton’s face.

Client: “It’s only when you do this that you can notice the lizard eyes. They are well camouflaged.”

Me: “…”

He does the same thing with another book while mumbling and shaking his head.

Me: “Ah, I’m sorry, someone is calling for me.”

And yes, I beat a hasty retreat.

The client was not bothering anyone and not doing anything untoward, so I left him on his quest — but I made sure to stay safely away while keeping an eye on him.

Related:
At Least It Isn’t Blue This Time

I am working at a bookstore for the holidays, and a woman walks up to me and, with all seriousness, asks:

Customer: “Where do you keep your books?!”

It takes my brain a full five seconds to re-check the sentence for either sarcasm or hidden meaning, and in that time, I am hoping she’ll clarify, but the next thing she says is:

Customer: “I’m a teacher.”

As if that clarified everything. 

I wasn’t able to help her. I still wonder to this day what she actually wanted.

One early morning shift, a pregnant customer comes in asking for a book.

Customer: “It’s a blue book with “stress” in it.”

As vague as that is, I do a search for her so she can see the books we have. After way too long she gives up and pays for her other books.

Customer: *In an accusatory tone.* “You obviously don’t know your own inventory! Such an idiot!”

I get so frazzled that I give her the wrong change. She flips out even though it’s a quick fix.

Customer: “You’re too stupid to be employed!”

She continues this to the point that when she is done I am in tears. I hope it was just the pregnancy hormones otherwise I feel bad for that kid.

Customer: “Where are your copies of [Book]?”

Me: “I’m afraid we’re sold out at the moment.”

Customer: “How can you be out of that book? Everyone is buying it!”

Me: “Ma’am, that’s exactly how we can be out of it…”