The World Is a Big Bookstore

The world is a big bookstore. You are a librarian here in this great big bookstore. You are the one in charge of shelving all of the books, making sure they are in the right spot and facing the right direction, etc. This has gone on for so long, you have forgotten there is anything else besides this.<br><br>What happens when you finally remember there is something else besides this?<br><br>**The world is a big bookstore.**<br><br>You woke up, got dressed, and headed to work. It was a Tuesday. It was a normal Tuesday. You worked as a librarian in the great big bookstore of the world. It had always been this way. As far back as you could remember, everything and everyone existed only to help shelve and organize the books. <br><br>You had always accepted this without question. You were a good librarian and took pride in your work. You would wake up every morning, get dressed, and head to work. You would arrive at the library and begin shelving the books that had been returned during the night. You made sure they were in the right spot, the right direction, and that nothing was out of order.<br><br>As you worked, you would see your fellow librarians coming in and doing the same thing. They were all good librarians and took pride in their work. There were so many of them. You couldn’t even begin to count how many there were. They all came in every morning, did their jobs, and went home. It had always been this way. It was a never-ending cycle, but one you had grown accustomed to.<br><br>After finishing your work, you went to the cafeteria for lunch. You saw all your fellow librarians doing the same. You ate your meal, then headed back home. You spent the afternoon reading a book, doing some chores, and then got ready for bed. Another Tuesday had come and gone, another normal day in the great big bookstore of the world.<br><br>You woke up the next morning, got dressed, and headed to work. It was another Wednesday. It was another normal Wednesday. You worked as a librarian in the great big bookstore of the world. It had always been this way. As far back as you could remember, everything and everyone existed only to help shelve and organize the books. <br><br>You had always accepted this without question. You were a good librarian and took pride in your work. You would wake up every morning, get dressed, and head to work. You would arrive at the library and begin shelving the books that had been returned during the night. You made sure they were in the right spot, the right direction, and that nothing was out of order.<br><br>As you worked, you would see your fellow librarians coming in and doing the same thing. They were all good librarians and took pride in their work. There were so many of them. You couldn't even begin to count how many there were. They all came in every morning, did their jobs, and went home. It had always been this way. It was a never-ending cycle, but one you had grown accustomed to.<br><br>After finishing your work, you went to the cafeteria for lunch. You saw all your fellow librarians doing the same. You ate your meal, then headed back home. You spent the afternoon reading a book, doing some chores, and then got ready for bed. Another Wednesday had come and gone, another normal day in the great big bookstore of the world.<br><br>The next morning you woke up feeling different. Everything was the same, but you felt different. You thought about your routine, about working every day as a librarian in the great big bookstore. It had always been this way. Everything and everyone existed only to help shelve and organize the books. But was this truly right?<br><br>You got dressed and went to work. Everything seemed normal as you began shelving the books that had been returned during the night. You made sure they were in the right spot, the right direction, and that nothing was out of order. But you couldn’t shake the feeling of being different. You looked around and saw all your fellow librarians coming in and doing the same thing. They were all good librarians and took pride in their work.<br><br>As you worked, you noticed something strange. You were the only one who seemed different. Everyone else was doing their jobs without question or concern. You wondered if you truly was the only one who felt different. Were you the only one who had ever questioned this existence?<br><br>You finished your work and went to the cafeteria for lunch. You saw all your fellow librarians doing the same. You ate your meal, then headed back home. You spent the afternoon reading a book, doing some chores, and then got ready for bed. Another day had come and gone. But you still couldn’t shake the feeling of being different.<br><br>The next morning you woke up still feeling different. You didn’t want to go to work as a librarian in the great big bookstore. You didn't want to shelve and organize books every single day. There must be more to life than this. But what was there besides this?<br><br>You thought about all the questions you had. What was outside the library? Was there anything besides books? Was there something more than this never-ending cycle of shelving and organizing? You knew you couldn’t keep going on like this. You had to find answers.<br><br>You got dressed, but instead of heading to work you left the house. You didn't know where to go or what to do, but you had to try. You walked through the streets and saw something you had never seen before. There was a store. It wasn’t a book store. You couldn't read the sign, but it didn’t say "books". <br><br>You approached the store hesitantly and entered. Inside you saw many things you had never seen before. There were clothes, food, tools, and many other items you didn’t recognize. You saw people doing things you had never seen before. They were cooking, cutting, building, and doing many other things you didn't understand.<br><br>One of the people noticed you standing there and approached. "Can I help you?" they asked. You didn't know what to say. You were a librarian, all you knew was books and the library. "What...what is this place?" you asked. The person looked at you strangely. "This is a store. What is a place like this?" they replied.<br><br>"A place...a place like this?" you repeated. "I don't know. I’ve never seen anything like it." The person looked at you even more strangely. "You’ve never seen a store before?" they asked. You shook your head. "No, I'm a librarian." The person nodded. "So there are no stores then?" you asked. "No, there aren't." they replied.<br><br>You thought about this. You were a librarian. The entire world was a great big bookstore. You had never heard of anything besides books and the library. But here you were, in a place that wasn't a bookstore. You had so many questions, but didn't know where to start.<br><br>The person seemed to sense your confusion and stepped closer. "What do you mean you're a librarian?" they asked. You tried to explain. "I work in the library. Everyone and everything exists only to help shelve and organize the books. That's all there is, all there ever was." The person nodded, but still looked confused. "So there are no stores?" they asked again. "No, there aren't." you replied.<br><br>The person looked at you for a moment, then nodded. "I have to go back to work. If you want to know more, come back and find me." They turned and walked away. You watched them go, still confused and full of questions. But you had to know more.<br><br>You spent the rest of the day in the store. You saw and learned many things. You met many people and they told you many things. You learned there was more than just books and the library. You learned about stores, and people who worked in stores. You learned about life and living. But you still had many questions.<br><br>That night you returned to the store, looking for the person who had helped you earlier. You found them and asked your questions. They told you more about the world, more than you ever could have imagined. They told you that the great big bookstore of the world was not the only place. They told you that there were other places, other worlds. They told you that life wasn't just about books and the library.<br><br>You listened to their words, and they changed everything. You realized that the great big bookstore of the world wasn't the only place. You learned that there was more to life than just shelving and organizing books. You learned that there was a world outside the library. You learned that there were things and people besides books and librarians.<br><br>The next morning you woke up feeling different again. You still felt different from the day before. You realized that you didn’t have to be a librarian in the great big bookstore of the world. You learned there was more to life than just shelving and organizing books. You learned that you could be something else. You learned that you could be something besides a librarian.<br><br>You thought about your life as a librarian. You had been one for as long as you could remember. You had never questioned it or wanted to be anything else. But now you did. Now you realized that there was more to life than just the library. You didn't want to be a librarian anymore.<br><br>You got dressed and left the house. You walked through the streets until you reached the store. You went inside and found the person who had helped you. "I don't want to be a librarian anymore," you said. The person looked at you strangely. "You don't want to be a librarian?" they asked. You shook your head. "No, I want to be something else." The person nodded