Up, Up and Away

I sent my Bookman off to his store manager's conference this morning; to one of the few parts of Florida that has not yet been leveled by a hurricane. He will be there the rest of the week yukkin it up with authors, publishers and other bookstore managers. It is this yearly conference pilgrimage that makes me contemplate now and again changing my non-career as accidental technology expert at the local nonprofit for which I am employed. Don't get me wrong, I work at a great place, but I don't get to go to a conference every year where I get free goodies. My Bookman does enough damage on his own, bringing home books and CDs and t-shirts. But, I think, with an obscene pleasure, just how much the two of us could haul home. But there are a few drawbacks to my imagined career change that keep me where I'm at. First, through experience, I know I do not like retail. The customer is always right philosophy is not one I can swallow. At least at my current job I can tell people they are wrong. Then I think, but maybe books are different. Second, I hate retail hours. It's rare that my Bookman gets two days off in a row and sometimes he goes 10 days without a day off. But then I think, maybe it'd be okay since I'd be at a bookstore. In the end, however, the thing that holds me back most is the huge pay cut I'd have to take in order to switch. I've finally worked my way into a decent salary and I'd lose it all to start as a bookseller for less than $10 an hour. Granted I'd work my way up and eventually make a living wage again, but I don't think I'm ready to do something like that at this time. So I send my Bookman off and anxiously await his return to hear all about it and to paw through the goodies. I hate waiting.