Have you ever had one of those days? One of those days where you are the bug and not the windshield? Where it seems like everything that comes your way smacks you dead in the face and causes a little bit of your little buggy insides to move from their correct location inside your little bug body, to outside your little bug body. This is all metaphorical, because a series of phone calls and emails are not enough to smash your carapace open and spill your squishy bits out, it just feels that way.

Do you ever think that when you are having morning like that (like mine was this morning) that maybe you did something wrong at some point and that thing you did wrong was coming back to bite you in the behind? I think that concept is referred to as karma. I looked karma up in the dictionary, and found this:

1. Hinduism, Buddhism. action, seen as bringing upon oneself inevitable results, good or bad, either in this life or in a reincarnation: in Hinduism one of the means of reaching Brahman. Compare bhakti (def. 1), jnana.

2. Theosophy. the cosmic principle according to which each person is rewarded or punished in one incarnation according to that person's deeds in the previous incarnation.

3. fate; destiny.

4. the good or bad emanations felt to be generated by someone or something.

I like the idea that by being a good person today, I can get slightly better treatment one or two lifetimes from now. That amount of patience is something more Americans should embrace. In our world of instant pudding, instant tea, instant gratification, instant democracy for Iraq, instant everything, I think we could use a little patience. I also think Axl Rose said that first.

Speaking of Karma. We are hosting a book event on the 19th of April in our Dupont Circle store. The book is called "Karma and Other Stories" by Rishi Reddi. "Karma" (as we will refer to the book from now on) is a collection of stories revolving around members of the Indian-American community trying to keep in touch with tradition while incorporating the ideals of this great western world. Not just a book about culture clash, the concepts discussed in the stories are things that will plague each of us at some point in our lives. Maybe they wont all apply to everyone, but I would bet they hit some of you some of the time.

Personally, I am a big fan of collected short stories. Maybe because I am an impatient American longing for a less time consuming way to unwind at the end of the day. Maybe because--No. I am sure it is due to a lack of patience. Short stories are like television shows over movies. Sometimes you want to hear the message, you just can't wait for two hours and twenty seven minutes for someone to get to the point.

Anyway, do yourself a favor in the this lifetime and the next, come out to Dupont on the 19th to see Rishi Reddi and hear her read. Her book is lovely and she has traveled all the way from Boston to visit us. If you come out to the store I can guarantee you and extra day of being the windshield and one less day of being the bug. Feel free to collect from me in 2087. I should be about 24 by then and just starting to find a real job out of university. Unless I am a child prodigy musician/performer. Then I will be on tour and you will have to talk to my publicist. See you all then.