First day. After last year I told myself not to book too heavily, so I could spend more time in the booth. Right! I did manage to spend the first two hours in the booth, but then...well, I think I was back for about 1/2 hour.
Sales were good, we sold out of the Na'aman Festschrift; Key to A Grammar of Akkadian is gone; only one of the Mazar Festschrift is left; 2 Fassberg, Biblical Hebrew in Its Northwest Semitic Setting remain, and we sold out of quite a few other titles, as well.
I didn't get a chance to take any pictures of the booth today, although I managed to get a few pictures of some customers for the people in the office. Hopefully tomorrow I can get some good pictures.
People really like the booth design, we've had quite a few comments on it. The mugs are a hit. We have had some people buy them outright and others increase their order to get a free one. I don't think we brought enough; at the rate they are going we will be out by noon tomorrow—so if you are waiting to buy in order to get the mug, you had better hurry.
<idle musing>
One of the reasons people come to AAR/SBL is to see other people that they only get to see once a year, in some cases once every few years. For me, it has been a chance to get reacquainted with people after a 15 year hiatus. Some of the renewals have been refreshing, others not so much so.
It is strange how people react to the situations that God brings into their lives. Some become bitter and hard; others become more humble and enjoyable to talk to. Some keep their sense of adventure; others are old before their time. Sometimes I find myself wanting to say, "What happened? Where is the person you used to be? Where is your sense of God's presence? Don't you know that God hasn't abandoned you?" Maybe I should. Maybe that is why God has brought us back into each other's lives. Maybe they don't realize what and whom they have become.
Sure, scholarly life can be brutal, but so can working in a warehouse—especially when you spent 13 years in college so you could get a teaching position, only to get a warehouse job. Most of it is what you do with life. do you respond by relying on God? Or, do you respond by getting angry and bitter at God?
Enough for now; I need to go help Dave tally the orders...
</idle musing>
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3 comments:
I very much appreciate your idle musings in this post. A very surprising insight you have. I'm glad the materials offered at your booth are selling well. How about "Sacred Bridge"?
The secret of being content is not one that is common in the West today ;-) Nor is contemporary "rich culture " an easy place to keep one's sense of God at work alive and vibrant. More idle musings like this one please!
One of the things I miss at this distance is the SBL meeting. Will you be at AIA/APA in San Diego?
-Chuck Jones-
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