Carlos Castaneda

I've been thinking about Carlos Castaneda for a few weeks now. I'd read at least his first book (The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge), and possibly more, when I was a teenager, and had thought I'd read all of them (12 total, I think) some day. 

Well, that day hasn't yet come, but I did get an audiobook of that first book, and I've been trying to listen to it every night for a couple of weeks now. ("Trying" because I tend to fall asleep within five minutes of lying down with an audiobook, so I've made very little progress in it.)

And then a few days ago I was checking out the bargain books spinner rack at Half-Price Books when I beheld a copy of Tales of Power (the fourth book in the series) for a dollar. 

But I didn't buy it.

Don't know why. 

Maybe because it wasn't the first book.

But a day or two later I realized that that was foolish, and I went back to H-PB, thinking that it would probably be gone ...and it was. 

Alas, alack.  

But for some reason, instead of chastising myself and heading home dejected, I did something I have never done before: I went through every book on that rack. (I usually just look at the ones in the front, because most of them are shit books and there are much better places to look for good books in the store.)

And there was Tales of Power, hiding behind a couple of Janet Evanovichs. 

But I kept going. 

Dunno why.

And there was Journey to Ixtlan. For a dollar.

Still, I persisted.

And there was The Second Ring of Power. Two dollars for that one.

So for $4.30 I got enough Carlos Castaneda to keep me busy for a couple of months.

And there was much rejoicing. 🎉🥳