Book Club+ MPC discussion

Hi everyone,

If you are joining us for our book club selection "What You Are Looking For Is in the Library" by Michiko Aoyama we are now at Chapter 2. Chapter 1 was an inspiring one about Tomoka. We now meet Ryo.

Chapter 2
Ryo works in the accounts department of a furniture manufacturer. Ryo remembered the first time he entered the antique shop. He had purchased a silver spoon. He valued the spoon and imagined the history of it. The meal history of it. Who were the owners? He went back to the store "Enmokuya" and saw the owner, Mr. Ebigawa. Ryo forgot his troubles when he went to the antique store. He couldn't buy much there and was doing alot of looking, but he managed to purchase a few items when he could. Ryo became friends with the store regulars and Mr. Ebigawa, who taught him some of his trade. One day the store closed. However Ryo's dream to own his own store did not end. He was saving up his money through the years to one day own one. He wasn't sure if that day would ever come.

After Ryo finished college, he started working in the accounts department of a furniture manufacturer. He has been an invaluable employee to his boss Mr. Taguchi, helping him with the numbers. Ryo is unable to take time off and enjoy life as he keeps getting tasked with work. In the back of his mind he wants to quit work and open his own shop of antiques. It seems overtime work has become part of his normal day. Ryo has a girlfriend Hina. They have similar likes even though there is an age difference between them. Hina has the desire to make sea-glass accessories and sell them, but currently works in an office.

Ryo eventually finds himself at the community house library. He is directed to reference librarian, Ms Komachi. He asks for books about starting a business. He hopes to start a business one day. She tells Ryo that as long as he says the words "one day" the dream is not over. She gives Ryo a variety of interesting titles. He's not able to get a library card but Hina can and she checks out the gardening book for him but changes his mind and doesn't get the business books.

Ryo spends time and many dinners with Hina's family. He tells Ryo she is a dreamer but feels being with Ryo will help her change. He starts to read the worm book from the library and finds the community house flyer and information about the cat bookstore. A portion of their sales go to cat-rescue organizations and rescue cats are also staff members. The owner of the cat store also works for an IT company. Parallel career. Ryo goes to an antique fair and comes across a regular, Mr. Nasuda from Enmokuya. He shared with Ryo how Mr. Ebigawa owed alot of money and had to close the business. Ryo has a numbers issue with Miss Yoshitaka at work and tries to get Ryo in trouble for harassment. Ryo and Hina have a disagreement when he hurts her feelings about not taking her online shop seriously.

Ryo continues to read the book about worms. He especially is fascinated by the chapter that speaks about how humans only look at the flowers and fruit of a plant and don't the below ground, even though it is important too. Balance is important, both are equally essential. Ryo goes to the Cats Now Books. He is greeted by a brown tabby that looks like the felt cat that Ms. Komachi gave him. Mr. Yasuhara. Ryo talks with Yasuhara about his parallel career. Neither job is secondary, both are important and keep him grounded. Yasuhara tells him that the moment Ryo says "don't" the dream is over and to set goals for himself. Ryo returned to the Hatori Community House library. He finds Ms. Komachi and tells her of his visit to the cat store. He decides to start his own business but keep his job. Ryo asks Mina to be his partner at the shop and promote her business there as well. Ryo does not get in trouble at work ands Miss Yoshitaka admits her wrongdoing. Ryo does not work overtime when asked. This time, he stands up and tells Mr. Taguchi that he is going to look for shop locations, everything to start a business. No more excuses his one day is changing to realizing his dream now.

What are your thoughts? Do you have parallel careers like Ryo? If you do, can you share how that has shaped your life? Ryo faced the fear many of us face about having the courage to risk failure in order to make our ideas and dreams come true. Once more Ms. Komachi points another library patron with dreams to the right books that magically inspire. Ryo also discovered that connections he made from the Enmokuya antique store would come years later to help him make his dream a reality. He was able to calm his fears by having a parallel career and be equally satisfied. The "no" "can't" "don't" were negative words that were holding him back. Ryo was also able to help Rina with her dreams by asking her to be his partner at the store.

Have a good day.

Sincerely,

-Donna