The Borders Experience

When I was younger, pre mommie hood, and I got depressed or just even felt ho hum I use to cheer myself up with going to Pier Imports. Now don't laugh, something about that store would always change my mood. I didn't necessarily have to buy anything, just walking around there for an hour looking at every little goodie would change my day. I know that sounds silly but it really did. Then if I was really down in the dumps I would then go to the subway and get a meatball parm sub and go home and enjoy that. Since Kady was born I sort of stopped going there. I did up to her toddler years and she just would hate the idea of going to that store. She would whine and complain the whole time. So I sort of phased that out of my life. Well in the last several years I found another mood enhancer. Borders Book Stores are now my new pick me upper. I can go in there and browse for hours. Before Kady left for college I went their one night and just seemed to find it so relaxing. I went probably to scan the shelves for new jewelry making ideas. I was not much of a reader and mainly would get books or magazines dealing with jewelry making but walking in that night I was hooked. I think I walked out with cook books and jewelry books and probably books on Kabbalah. Over the last year of Kady being home with every mother daughter agrument we would have I would go off to Borders to regroup. Then that day had come in San Diego that I dropped my baby girl off at college and had to walk away. I went back to the empty hotel room, sobbed my eyes out and then decided to take a trip to the borders in the area to see if the magic would work there too. Still all teary eyed I wondered the Borders looking for something to read on the plane to keep me from crying all the way back to New Jersey. I bought a book by Louise Hay about positive thinking and a purple journal. I found a local convinence store and loading up on junk food and went back to the room and threw an importu party for myself. Declaring that it was now my time to do what ever I wanted. I had been a daughter then a wife and then a single mother. Now I was going to be Carol Betz. Over the last 3 years I haven't totally pulled it off, as you all already know. So, tonight I went to my feel good store, Borders. I went there for one particular item. A book that I happen to hear about through the Oprah website. The book is called Queen of Your Own Life, it's by Kathy Kinney and Cindy Ratzlaff. If any of you have ever watched the Drew Carey Show, you will know who Kathy Kinney is. She is the woman who plays Mimi. Granted this book is probably more the woman in my age group but I really can't see why it would not apply to all women. Well I ended up getting a magazine on Jewelry and a discount cookbook too. But even though I wasn't in any mood funk I still walked out totally happy and grateful that Borders is in my vincinity. Now I'm going to start looking through my books.

Toodles
Carol Betz