~ by Carrie Guy, Mountain States Sales Representative
Without a doubt, all of us at Friesens eat, sleep, and breathe books. It’s our passion! And when I Love To Read Month comes around (every February in Manitoba), we love celebrating literacy, and the impact books have had on our lives…especially our Mountain States Book Sales Representative, Carrie Guy! Books have played an incredible role in her life, and she is passionate about sharing that love.
“Growing up, I was a bit of an introvert. I wasn’t especially skilled at any sport, but I always had a lot of heart. I was a great cheerleader (formally and informally) but I cared more about learning than anything. I spent my free time with my nose buried in a book. Fiction, nonfiction, anything that might give me insight into figuring out what this life was all about. Now, in my forties, not much has changed, I am still trying to figure out what life is about. But here is what I have decided…it is about connection. None of us has all the answers, but I believe that together we can find the best way forward.
In the 7th grade, I decided that one of my ultimate life goals was to have a library. I saved every book I’ve every purchased since that day. Recently, I moved into a house and my parents drove from Illinois to Arizona to bring much of my furniture and all of those books. Prior to this, I was living in a downtown townhouse with limited space. And I realized… I’m gonna need a bigger shelf (bonus points if you get the Jaws reference).
The stories authors put on the page are pieces of that person’s soul. Sometimes it is a true story of something they overcame, sometimes fiction about a world they’d created in their minds. Either way, that story was significant enough that they spent hours, days, months, or years pouring their ideas onto paper and it is our great honor to help them bring the story to life on the page.
Even as an adult and after all these years, I view books as a lifeline. It gives us windows into worlds we’ve never seen, examples of great heroism and grit to push through hard times. Books are precious to me, helping me to see the world through different eyes. They have made me kinder, more empathetic, and more open to embracing new things.
At “middle age” I am very thoughtful about how I spend my time, and one thing that will never change is my passion for learning new things, seeing new perspectives, and appreciating struggles others have overcome. Books have had the most powerful and positive impact on my life. One of my greatest joys is to gift a book that I think will bring a smile to someone’s face or offer helpful tips to navigate difficult situations.”
Carrie Guy is a native of small-town Illinois, and got her BA in Communication from Culver Stockton College in Canton, MO. She comes to Friesens after 18 years in Educational Publishing with McGraw Hill. Now a resident of Arizona, she enjoys hiking with her two dogs, Finn and Quintus, yoga, and live music. Always the child who was in trouble for reading after bedtime, she is (obviously) an avid reader on a quest to discover her new favourite author.
Do you have a story to share? Let us know and we would be delighted to bring it to life.
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