It used to be at one time one was not supposed to trust anyone over the age of 30. If you did, you were a traitor to the “cause” (whatever that may have been), you could no longer be trusted, and you were a sellout. A pariah in your own time.

So, I have to be considered a pariah, a traitor, whatever. I am over 30, I trust people over 30 too, and, I confess, I’m a sell-out. Hi. I’m Bruce and I’m a sell-out. Hmmm, confession is good for the soul. But it’s not the sell-out you might think I’m talking about.

Last week, I had my first public book signing. Never having done one of these before, I had no idea of what to expect. As I also had no advance person to set things up, there was no virgin, Alsatian spring water laced with partridgeberry juice as I had previously requested. (No, not really.) Would the press be there? No, again. Would there be book groupies? (Are they called bookies?) No. There was a display of my book Arn? Narn. in the front of the store and a section set up in the back with a desk and two sections of several rows of seats in the oft-chance someone might want to hear whatever prattle I was peddling that evening. Oh, I had to speak too? Oh, yes, but to who? Whom?

I need not have worried. Before too long, the section, all the chairs, were filled and it became standing room only. They must have thought this was going to be a Sham-Wow demonstration! SRO! I couldn’t believe it. An announcement was made that the author (me!) was going to speak in a few minutes. Deep breath time.

Four score and seven… no, no, that’s not right. This is the kind of rambling I wanted to avoid while speaking. I think I succeeded. The audience grew a bit larger and I did my talk with a Q&A after. It went very well with some good laughs and then the book-signing. The moment of truth.

The line formed immediately and I was chatting, signing, and inscribing books to all those people whose impeccable good taste brought them there that evening. No Sham-Wow for them. It was for Arn? Narn. Before it was all over, the bookstore had sold out their sizable stock! Hoping against all hope, I had brought more in my car in the event this very unlikely thing occurred. We brought more in.

So… a good night. A very good night. And I have to admit – I’m a sell-out, the kind publishers like. And you know, I’m OK with that.

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• Arn Narn? by Bruce Meisterman (bookloverstop.wordpress.com)