Soul Carving

       I got my first job at age 17, working at a Barnes & Noble store. The first thing the manager interviewing me said was, "Well, Bethany I would say you look twelve. But that would be an insult, so. . ."        Umm. Okay?        But I got the job. And the experiences I loved the most there involved working in the children's department: holding storytime, managing field trips, even dressing up as a storybook character. I remember the double-takes from the class of 6th graders as I tried to muscle my way through the crowded aisles to locate a book for a customer. Lots of them were taller than I was and the name tag slung around my neck really threw them for a loop. Then there was the time I was sitting on the floor, rearranging a display when an elderly woman approached me and asked, "Do you work here, or are you one of the children?" I guess I could have answered, "Both!"        Yesterday I turned ...