The hustle and bustle of the once lively 3rd St Promenade was silently suspended while the heavens spoke with vehement eruptions of thunder, pouring down rain and stones of ice. One may take note that it is a most rare occurrence to experience a hail storm along the shoreline of Santa Monica, California. Farewell to Santa Monica’s bright sunshiny days and the warm golden sands of it’s beaches…..at least for one night. The tempest with its romantically wild ways, was the perfect entrance music for John-Roger and John Morton.
From my dry refuge, I gazed out of the second-story windows of the Barnes and Noble bookstore into the darkness, seeing little movement on the Promenade. Downstairs, people came in from the cold, arms clutched firmly to their bodies, heads down and bodies contracted against the outside weather. It took a few moments to brush the chill from their bodies as they would slowly expand, shaking umbrellas and peeling off protective layering, welcoming the cozy atmosphere and warmth of the Barnes and Noble bookstore. People began to amass in the book talk and signing room on the second floor as the time drew near for the night’s activities. It didn’t take long to completely fill the room, allowing for standing room only.
The lovely community relations manager for this Barnes and Noble, Jan Lindstrom, welcomed those present to the pre-Valentines Day talk by authors John-Roger and John Morton. The first person to take the stage with his warm and inviting presence was John-Roger, author of “Relationships: Love, Marriage and Spirit.” He was full of humor and fun while joking about relationships.
John-Roger’s stated intention to sell books was realized when the numbers came in. John-Roger’s and John Morton’s books sold over 250 copies that evening. John-Roger’s presentation about relationships was, in itself, a demonstration of a key component to any relationship: humor.
John Morton shared next with the sounds of children playing trickling in from outside the room. As it was “Valentine’s Day Eve”, John told of a chapter in his book “The Blessings Already Are” called The Blessing of Loving One Another. The blessing reflected the tone of the evening, and those who gathered partook of the loving.
John then fielded questions from the crowd. One young boy, sitting in his mother’s lap, asked John whether he would be writing another book. As luck would have it (lucky for readers), John’s new book is now in the works.
As John continued, his voice floated over the crowd to the door where parents were watching their kids play while listening to the blessings given by John. The event was truly a family affair, and with people playing with each other’s children it was reminiscent of the common saying “It takes a village to raise a child.”
Last on the program was the book signing. With the line extending beyond the room’s door, John-Roger and John Morton signed each book and met each smiling face. As people slowly departed from the event, the sounds of fun, children’s laughter and friends sharing with each other trailed off into the silence of the storm’s peaceful aftermath.
