Thank You, Rick

 

“Common Sense”

I only went in because I had time.

It was on the wall.

I'd seen it before, but I've never gone.

Laundry was spinning so I figured

may as well try it out.

Inside were shelves upon shelves of stories,

thoughts, histories, worlds....

far too many to read in ones life, surely.

Toni Morrison's book Love was there.

I hesitated because I am very aromantic

for now at least.

Perhaps it was about more, surely

but romance is not something for me.

Then I saw Common Sense by Thomas Paine

and realized something very simple:

I had never actually read it.

So I bought some Common Sense.

That alone feels symbolic somehow.

Another book caught my eye too—

The Kick-Ass Writer.

A book with 1001 ways to write better.

I suppose that makes sense too.

Because I am trying to write now.

Not just stories nor ideas,

but something meaningful.

And then there was Rick.

I asked about another kind of book,

and somehow the conversation turned

toward self-help books instead.

He said something that stayed with me.

That many self-help authors talk about success

without speaking enough about the people

who helped them get there.

The mentors.

The supporters.

The quiet hands beneath the ladder.

And I sat there realizing

how deeply important that truth is to me.

Because if I ever write something worthwhile—

if I ever create something that truly helps others—

I do not want to pretend I arrived there alone.

I want to remember every person

who shared wisdom, kindness,

encouragement, and time.

I want to remember people like Rick.

So thank you

for speaking honestly

to a stranger in a bookstore.

You may never know how important your words were,

but they mattered.

May they live on through me. 🌿

[Expanded Thoughts Below]

It was on the wall. I'd seen it before, but I've never gone. And I was waiting for my laundry, so I figured, may as well. Going inside was a treasured trove of books. There were so many. I was drawn to a few. More than a few.

I saw Common Sense by Thomas Paine and realized I'd never read it. And I figured, I can at least buy some common sense. So I did. There was also another book called The Kick-Ass Writer with 1001 ways to basically write well. I figured I'd pick it up and take a gander. Times change, sure, but wisdom is wisdom. Lived knowledge is lived knowledge. It does not hurt to get more, especially because I plan on writing my own book soon. Several books at some point.

But that's not the point of this. The point of this is Rick.

When I asked for a specific book, Rick advised that he didn't sell those types of books anymore. But then he went into providing information about self-help books. He mentioned that self-help books don't really help people, even though they may sell well, because most people writing the self-help books, don't talk about all the people who actually helped get them where they are The people that put money and effort behind it. They don't actually help people because people are people. We're all different. We all have different methods, different means, different madnesses, different modes. So what works for one person might not work for another.

It's just wild because I really hope that my way does.

I want to thank Rick because I don't know if he realizes how pertinent that information was that he shared with me. I don't know if he realizes how much of a difference he made for me. I don't think he realizes that him just sharing those words for whatever reason at that exact time was important. It was something I needed to hear.

One day, I hope he can at least say that there is one person who has written a book before the fame, before the fortune, before anything. And at least one person that will think the people who helped them get there.

That one person is me, God willing.

So thank you, Rick, for just sharing from your heart without realizing how much of a difference it made.