Packing More Than Books

There’s a version of this that looks simple. A table. Some books. A weekend event. Show up, smile, talk to people. But that’s not really what it is.

This weekend, I’ll be at Once Upon a Page. And what people will see is the table. What they won’t see is everything that comes before it. The quiet inventory I do in my head. Do I have enough books? Enough bookmarks? Do I have wifi for my card reader? Is there power? Is my table runner going to have a wrinkle? Am I enough? Enough everything?

But more than that… am I ready to be seen?

Because that’s the part no one really talks about.

It’s not just selling books. It’s standing behind something you created, something that came from your life, and letting people walk up to it. Pick it up. Read the back. Decide if it matters to them. There’s a vulnerability in that that doesn’t go away, no matter how many times you do it.

I’ve done events before. Much smaller events. I’ve sat behind the table. I’ve had the conversations. I’ve watched people connect with the work.

And still… every time, there’s a moment where I have to choose it again. To show up. To stay open. To not shrink back into the safer version of myself.

So, this week looks like preparation, but not just the kind you can pack in a box. It’s the kind you carry in your body. The kind that asks, “Are you willing to be here, fully, as yourself?”

And the answer is… yes.

Even if my hands shake a little when I say it.

If you’re local and planning to be there this weekend, come find me. I’d love to meet you.