I Love Costco

I love Costco, but when I first knew of it's existence it was called Price Club and my youth pastor would take a few of us there for lunch, his treat. (yes, those 1.50 hot dogs and soda were quite a draw!)

I now love Costco for so many different reasons! First, even though in a previous post I said I love information and the more information the better, one of the biggest draw for me is the fact that there aren't as many choices as there are in other stores! Plus, I can look at a wide range of products all at once. I love it. There's a bit of trust that Costco has decided for me which products are better and "worthy" of it's shelf space. (might not be quite true but it's a feeling) I feel fairly confident that their everyday price is as cheap or perhaps cheaper than a store's sale price, and I just enjoy the atmosphere. Strange, I know.

But my favorite thing to do, my favorite indulgence, is the book section. I'm not sure why because I don't read a ton of fiction and rarely buy books on the NY Times bestseller list. (I read them, just don't typically buy them) Sometimes it is hard to resist buying a book..... 5.99 or 6.99 seems so easy to plunk down for instant satisfaction of reading as soon as I get home!

Today my whole family went to Costco to buy some of the basics. We enjoyed the time together, eating in the food court for under 10 dollars, perusing the furniture and dreaming of how our house should look like. (again, there is beauty in having very few choices at times) We bought beer, chicken, salad, fruit, cereal, cheese, milk, diet coke, etc.

Then I reached the books. Glanced over the cookbooks; I really don't cook and already own at least 20 that I never use but somehow firmly think that by owning a colorful, hip, amazing cookbook that I'll magically be transformed to a great chef. Well, that hasn't happened yet and I no longer believe it will happen. So I only spend about 45 seconds looking at the cookbooks. I moved on to the children's books. Saw a series title that was, dare I say it, a NY Times bestseller and picked it up, thinking Conor might like it. Couldn't resist getting a beginner reader series for Reid. (what can I say? I'm a sucker for books) then skipped over the audio selections into the fiction area. Here are the cheap, fun, easy to finish in one night type books that I all too often succumb to and then wonder what I am going to do with the book now that I finished? So, knowing this, I really did not seriously look until I reached a stack in the middle of the table. Ernest Hemmngway's Farewell to Arms and For Whom the Bell Tolls. Pearl S. Buck's The Good Earth. F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. All titles I haven't read since high school at a nice price of 8.99. But I could not decide, plus, I know I own at least one of these titles but could not remember which one. So, as hard as it was, I put back all 4 books. (thus saving 36 dollars)

I saw a Joel Osteen book but I did not even read it's title; I'm just not a fan I suppose of attaining my best life now. I saw The Shack. I've seen that title at Costco for over a year now! Wow. But I am not interested in owning The Shack; borrowing it was quite enough for me.... again, I'm not a fan. Then I saw it....... could it be? A simple, white paperback book by one of my favorite authors? At COSTCO? How could I have an author I love that is so mainstream his books are offered alongside Osteen's and William P. Young's? But yes, it was the paperback version of a book I have on my bookshelf by Timothy Keller called The Reason For God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism .... and I could only locate 2 copies! I hope all the others have been sold and they order more and more. I'd like to say it's a great book because I'm sure it is, but I actually haven't read it yet. (but I have read The Prodigal God and Ministries of Mercy, both are truly wonderful books.)

Then I saw another book I was surprised to see: Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. This book is over 1000 pages. Funny, I don't recall it being quite that large when I was in school. I was a happy, happy girl. David just looked at me like I was crazy, when would I have time to read such a book? I should be doing other things. But I was determined to own this book. So now I do.

I love Costco. I love the stuff, the prices, the samples, and the surprises. One never knows what they may find there. Like a 1000 page Atlas Shrugged book or Timothy Keller's The Reason for God. (go to Costco now and buy it; I believe it was 8.99 or 9.99)

I have to stop writing now; I have to finish a different book about the history of Christianity before I can open Atlas Shrugged. I wonder if I'll enjoy reading it today as much as I did in high school? I wonder if I'll still have the same thoughts and conclusions about her philosophy?