When you meet someone new, you never really know how long the relationship will last.
Could end up being forever, could be a one-off thing.
This goes for friendships and romantic relationships alike.
With family relationships, you're kind of stuck, although sometimes even familial relationships sadly become broken too.
A while back, around 2012, I met an old man named Jerome who owned a bookshop in downtown Glendale.
After doing a court hearing at the Glendale courthouse, I had a little time to kill while waiting for freeway traffic to die down, and I came across Jerome's bookstore, Brand Bookshop.
When I entered, Jerome welcomed me and struck up a conversation from behind the counter.
When you meet an old man in an independent bookstore, there's a bit of magic to it.
I kind of felt like Bastian in The Never Ending Story, if you know what I mean.
Jerome was a thin man with kind eyes, and he moved around quickly behind the front counter, shuffling papers and organizing books with an uncanny energy for his age.
Since I was still in my suit, he asked if I was a lawyer and told me about how he used to practice law in Missouri before moving to California in the 80's to open the bookstore.
He talked about his work, his life. He told me about his son.
He told me how he really loved Asian culture, and grabbing some scrap paper he scribbled down for me one of his favorite poems, written by a Japanese admiral (which I still have today).
Jerome was full of spirit, passionate about life and people and culture.
The fact he put down his paperwork to have a long conversation with me, even though he must've been busy, made me feel pretty special.
He introduced me to the author Haruki Murakami, taking a hardback version of Murakami's novel, IQ84, off one of the bookshelves, which he let me borrow simply on my promise that I would return it.
Even though I only spoke with Jerome a couple times, once when we first met, and again when I returned the book, he made a very strong impact on me.
Sometimes people just stay with you, and I will never forget him.
I found out Brand Bookshop closed down in 2014, after 29 years in business.
I also discovered Jerome died about one year later.
Jerome was kind of like an old book himself, full of wisdom and magic. Yet, he also had a childlike sheen of mischief about him.
I want to be like Jerome, inspiring wonder and trust in others, and leaving a legacy behind worth talking about.
I like to help my clients do the same, to leave a legacy - not just a bunch of "stuff" - but a story, for the generations to remember.
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P.S. Here is the poem Jerome scribbled down for me:
In blossom today, then scattered;
Life is so like a delicate flower.
How can one expect the fragrance to last forever?
(a poem by Admirial Takijiro Onishi)
