“Oysterville” by Sydney Stevens

     My paternal grandmother always said, “If you don’t toot your own horn, no one else will toot it for you.”  On the other hand, my maternal grandmother felt strongly that “a job well done speaks for itself.”  I often wonder which philosophy to adopt but, for once, I think I can follow both at the same time.
     Yesterday Cyndi Hayward of Adelaide’s in Ocean Park called and said, “Your new book is absolutely flying off the shelf, here; I can’t keep it in stock!”  (That’s the “job well done speaks for itself” part.)  She asked if I happened to have any available.  I did.  Within a few minutes I had signed ten copies and headed for the bookstore.
     Cyndi greeted me effusively.  I felt like a celebrity!  She said, “Do you know that you are our all-time best seller?!  We’ve sold more of this book in the few weeks that we’ve had it than any other book since we’ve been open.”  (This is the horn-tooting part.)  A best-selling author!  Wow!
    Then, I asked how many all those sold books added up to.  “At least in the thirties,” she said.  “I’d have to figure it out.”
     Well, there are best-sellers and there are best-sellers.  It’s all relative, right?  Best sellers on the New York Times List number in the millions sold.  In Ocean Park, Washington, it’s in the thirties.  Still…I’m not complaining.  I never expected to have a best-selling book anywhere.  I’ll be tooting about this for a long time!