For a short and sweet less than three whole days out of Sullivan County we still had time and not a lot of activities to do. We did most of it on Thursday, but there was a certain store we passed that I didn’t want to miss. I almost thought on Friday that I simply dreamed it was there.
After eating that delicioso food from the pizzeria within the next half an hour to 45 minutes I would say I finally found that store. I even went into a store that was all gothic and skulls and bones inside not knowing that’s what would be inside and quickly made a circle around and back out. So when I finally found the bookstore I was ecstatic.
When I am looking at books I get lost in the books. Of course I am talking about the broad contingency of the phrase “history books.” Although I wouldn’t stop there I just love the smell of books.
The first section as you walk in had an amazing array of World War II books. This was my forte-my I want all of these books for my personal library type books. Everything I saw in this section was amazing. I tend to spend more time in the Christian Library of the Open Door now, but there was a time I spent hours looking at whatever bookstore we visited on vacations or in Terre Haute which was Books A Million. I could never just pick up one book. I would be looking at one book and eyeing another book and maybe a second book.
Simply stated, I have a book problem. I am too interested in history and the lives of people who have made intriguing decisions. Reading the Bible has taught me how unique people are and yet we all have certain needs to be loved and to know our purpose that God has given us.
We all make decisions on whether we know we are loved or not and whether we know our purpose or haven’t figured it out. As I went further into the store going northward through the books I found another incredible section for the Hoosier in me. Again I wanted every book in this section series and there was a series of books actually. I found a grouping of myopic topic books with in depth research. Someone had gone to a lot of work or perhaps it was more a labor of love scenarios with how Hoosiers were affected by World War II. I was so engrossed in these books and there were dozens of them that truly hit home as a bred and born Hoosier. Fresh grief also hit me in seeing these books that even after 19 years I wanted to tell Grandpa Freddy what I found.
After all I blame him for this reading obsession and my writing. He was the integral piece alongside Grandpa Leo’s death that spurred this life-long passion. I am a product of the attention of my loving family. Not a bad thing to admit among the thorns on our campuses right now. I know my history and some world history enough to know how important Israel is to the world let alone America.
Leaving that store was so hard. On my way out a large book of Indiana maps was on a table. I really hate to pass over maps and this was an enormous book. I love looking at maps from early colonial ones to modern day. I can’t explain why they are just so intriguing to look at to have something to look at when you are reading about something that goes with that place and time frame. It’s why I love having maps in my Bibles too.
Jewells of Thought 
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