Real People Were Digging Up My Treasure, Which Always Meant I Could Too

Fear is never a red flag

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It was back in the day cashiers asked for your ID when you used your credit card. I’m thankful I was one of those cashiers.

At 17, I worked at a bookstore in Los Angeles county. All my friends were preparing to attend colleges within 20 miles of where I stacked books, but I was saving for my escape.

I told everyone, “I’m moving to Oregon.”

“For what?” people would ask.

“To live!” I would tell them.

I was surrounded by inspiration in the form of other people’s stories.

At work, my eyes landed on book titles that made me smile. Boundless tales about uncertain adventures. This is where I’d discover my favorite story — about a boy who found his treasure — .

These stories reminded me, “Keep the dream alive, Cory. The world is bigger than you know.”

Then, one evening, a nice-looking woman approached my cash register with a small pile of novels that had colorful covers.

After I rung up her purchase, I asked her, “May I please see your ID?”

And I saw it: an auspicious sign that my dream was possible.