If I only knew more

My sister is crying on the phone, she has a rash. She is missing exams to go see the doctor. Three hours later the doctor tells her to go to a dermatologist. The dermatologist needs to be referred by another doctor and her skin is itching, red, burning and hurting right now! She calls me scared about her condition, frustrated with the doctor and worried about her exam. Right then I needed a solution, I needed words to make her feel better, to instill hope and to be an encouragement. My mind raced to be the hero in her moment. I rambled about what I did in a similar situation.....blah.....blah.....blah. It did not help. I advised her on perhaps what I would do......more blah, blah. I told her not to worry, it will be okay. That was also unhelpful. She let me go still crying on the phone, and at that point I decided that I needed more knowledge on the way that my words work.

This week for our date night, we went to the center of downtown to an remolded restaurant that used to be a brewery. As it turned out it was the popular place to be at on a Thursday evening and the wait was 1 hour if you had no reservations. We placed our name on the list and went down the block to the biggest book store I have ever seen. It was 3 stories tall. There was an information desk where the person asks you what book you are looking for and directs you to a specific, colour coded room. My book was in the literature/Dictionary section. He told us to go right to the first set of small stairs and take a left to the blue room. We did. They had both used and new books, the shelves were from floor to ceiling, the scent of new and used mixed together to just form "old". I laughed about about febreeze to myself and continued to take in the sense of importance that the atmosphere made me feel and a recognition that knowledge can instill hope. I recognized the smell then, it was that of wisdom.


Within 15 minutes I found a shelf of books that talked about words but most of them were on history and definitions. Between the used books, paperback books, and very thick books there was my book. A small, unintimidating, straight to the point book. It was called "ON WORDS" by Paula LaRocque. Right on the front cover it simply stated the fact "insight into how our words work-and don't", I rejoiced. I had found the book. I will move forward.

We headed back to the restaurant, they told us we still had a 15 minutes wait so we went next door to a store called "Anthropology". It had a mix of vintage things, with modern art, and organic clothes. It was an interesting place because of its versatility, there was so much to see and touch. Books, clothes, doorknobs, dishes, bread, corks, candles, bedding, tiles and underwear. Almost any person would be intrigued and find something worth buying. That was us. "Genius", my husband found a tea cup set that worked well with our house and would hold a good purpose as I read my new found book. Thirty-one dollars broke our bank account but at least it was a investment towards my journey.

Dinner was good. It was a place with comfort food and conversation. Talk of life, health, kids, friends, economy and religion played its part of importance. Our evening was ending on the basis of enjoyment. Closing in on our freedom of time.

Until next time.
Hope