Books and Beer

After my visit to the Peace Pagoda on Friday I drove to the nearby Bookmill in Montague, MA. It's been many years since I've visited and I fell in love with the spot all over again.

What's not to love about a funky old mill building full of used books and comfy chairs situated on the banks of a roaring New England river? Narrow stairways, tiny rooms, cozy nooks, great light...and so many books...

I was pleasantly surprised to see books from the company I work for prominently displayed everywhere — on the checkout counter, in rows on top of the book cases, beneath a sign that read something like, "Books We'd Like to Find Beneath the Tree." As I studied rows of philosophy books, a woman and her husband pulled this book from the stacks and began to discuss it as a possible gift for his mother. I had to laugh — reminders of my work were everywhere on my day off.

What could be better than books you don't need in a place you can't find (the shop's motto)? How about books you don't need in a place you can't find with a little café overlooking the river? And on this particular afternoon, an open table in the corner, just for me.

And what if the café offered delicious, healthy foods like warm brown rice salad and cold soba noodles, baked goods, fresh coffees, and a fantastic selection of beer and wine? I could live in a place like this, personally. Here's the Farmhouse Ale Heinnieweisse (in a can no less) I ordered while waiting for my enormous bowl of soba noodles, and yes, the letter they handed me just happened to be an M! Perfect!

I sat there at my little table for an hour, reading one of the books I'd just chosen and leisurely enjoying my beer and noodles, which felt luxurious. Going in, I knew I would focus on self-help/spirituality titles, but there were quite a few to choose from. I wanted to make wise choices — how could I narrow it down?

Two ended up jumping out at me thanks to their use of the word "quest," my word for the coming year. Among other things, the jacket copy for Twenty Spiritual Lessons for Creating the Life You Want: The Way of the Wizard, promises "...twenty spiritual lessons that help the reader transcend ordinary reality by creating a shift in perception that opens the mind to the value of spiritual transformation in everyday life. This transformation was the real alchemy of the wizard. Deepak Chopra invites the reader on a quest."

The description of the second book, Where Are You Going? was equally intriguing. "Sometimes it seems that we have been sidetracked and have lost sight of our true destination. One of the great spiritual masters of the modern age, Swami Muktananda, tells us, "Now is the time to get back on the main road. " In the essays, stories, and conversations that compose this book, Swami Muktananda offers us an engaging and comprehensive introduction to the spiritual quest: how we can embark on it and how it will unfold. This is an essential guidebook for the spiritual journey."

It was this second book I began to read first.