I Can't and Will Never Resist

"Yeah but, I didn't think you would actually do it, it was simply a suggestion."

Ah...so many times this has been said to me over these 3000 years, I can only imagine.

My older sister learned by the age of 10 or so not to double-dog dare me to do anything or she would have to listen to me scream like a half-run over cat.

I remember it well, my face was bloody, and my ankle was broken inside my girly boots that I had to borrow just to go sledding. I took down that hill and ice with my ninja turtle sled knowing that I would show her, and indeed I did. The once half-melted, now frozen again snowman at the bottom of that amazing trip showed me that it was not in fact a jump after all. Both of my siblings thought I was kidding so they headed home, scared of the crazy scene I was causing. Luckily, a trusty neighbor was by her house phone and called my Dad. The worst part of riding in the back of Dad's friend's van (really?) was that I was wearing those girly boots with different colored hearts. I thought surely, it was the tight boots borrowed from my little sister that caused all this mess in the first place. If I had my own boots on, none if this would ever have happened, they would have taken the strain caused by the giant block of ice and I would be having hot chocolate and watching the Wonder Years by now.

And then, after many other instances like this, there was the bookstore...

I worked at the Strand in NYC (http://www.strandbooks.com/) which was one of the best jobs I've ever had. Didn't pay much, but I met alot of nice (women) people and got to read alot. Like everything I do, I dabbled at The Strand. I worked in the warehouse upstairs because I failed their book quiz during the interview, I drove a van, I also worked in art and photography section (best job ever). You could buy books half off as an employee and you were FORBIDDEN FROM SELLING THEM ON THE INTERNET but I did it anyway. Later, after being a doorman (get to that another day) I shopped there once a week or so, still selling books on Amazon, Ebay and abebooks (www.abebooks.com) 
Things really picked up when I got hitched and my wife left for Christmas as she was still in college and I was left to sulk. I put my idle hands to good use and BAM dawsonbooksellers was born. This went on for quite some time from our Bay Ridge, Brooklyn apt. and I would shuffle books from old ladies houses by the boxes, as much as I could fit into a cab, later our '88 Olds Cutlass Cierra.

Spanning time ahead, moves, moves, making moves, next thing you know, I am a Southerner living in Kennesaw, GA with not much space and a whole lot of books. The idea is you buy lots of books and sell them one at a time.

I started doing business in Rome, GA with the only guy who would buy my unwanted stock. I would bring a truckload, we would shoot the breeze and I eventually went from selling him my books to buying his store, the whole turn key operation. He was going under simply because he didn't have an Internet market. You cannot rely on brick and mortar any longer unless you are The Strand. Everyone thought and knew I was crazy, even me. But cheap bookstore? I can't and will never resist.

This was great, I loved having a bookstore. We redecorated, I got a cat for the place, everything was cool. The structure was in a traditional southern downtown (Broad St. = Main St. ). I could have been there forever and made it work but green things came and took me away, made me jump out of planes and put me in charge so I had to get out.

My employee at the time was a very eager English major. He was my third and I almost lost his resume but I kept it in some rusty coffee can marked "just in case". I paid him next to nothing and he showed up to work anyway. I eventually sold the store to him and he has done very well (he is still there anyway, and he probably still has my risk board.) Alan, you're a good guy. Check it out, http://paradiselostbooks.wordpress.com/
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+Paradise Lost Books

I hope Alan learned from some of my mistakes, I know I sure did. Next time, and there will be a next time...I want to have a book barn so I can do all of my evil deeds in one cozy place. I can see it now...books downstairs, recording studio upstairs, antiques and art gallery throughout, garden outside with Crepaux (French) farms vegetable stand on the corner...kids eating Popsicles and selling tomatoes...Taxis dispatched in and out...plays performed in the amphitheatre...frogs hopping in the pond...