This week I decided to make my first trip to Barnes & Noble to pick up copies of Peter Lynch's Learn To Earn and One Up On Wall Street and Michael O'Higgins's Beating The Dow. As a home-schooling mother of two and a member of a TV-less household (by choice), I felt that teaching my children about the stock market would be easier if I boned up on the information in these works (to say nothing of furthering my own education and feathering the feudal nest to boot!).

As I stood in front of the Personal Finance section with Lynch's books in hand, wondering where O'Higgins's book was and thinking about looking for a salesperson in this vast (but tastefully appointed) mega-land of books, a man walked up, briefly looked at the books, then turned to me and said (in a lowered tone of voice), "You play the market?"

"Why, yes, I do." I replied. "What's your strategy?" "Ah, well..." I stammered, feeling a bit intimidated. I am a tall, fortyish, rather intimidating person myself, by virtue of sheer height, but this man was BIG!! "I've read Chuck Carlson's Buying Stocks Without a Broker and we have a portfolio of 16 DRiPs which have appreciated 13% over the past 4 months," I replied. Feeling pleased but rather sheepish, I added, "Of course, I know that with this market, it's hard not to be making a profit. I mean, at this time, of course, I mean, anybody could, you know."

"Ah!!!" He puffed that off, "You need to get you a good broker!" And he proceeded to tell me all about what he was doing, what he had done in the past, what he was going to do in the future and I stood there feeling myself turn invisible. I finally put the books back on the shelf and slunk off. Foiled again! When am I ever going to feel grown-up enough to make decisions that don't have to be approved by every Tom, Dick & Harry that comes along?

To make a long story short, here I am again, on the boards in Fooldom. This is where I belong, where my fellow Fools affirm me, even in my anonymity, as one who can indeed think for herself. Hey, I'm going back to Barnes & Noble, and buy those darn books! And to heck with anybody who hisses "Don't do it!"

he way, that guy told me that he is a Certified Financial Planner; I guess he hangs out in the Personal Finance sections of bookstores, looking for business! Believe me, I'm going to remember what that Wise Guy looks like and hie my little old self right off!

[Editor's Note: Pssst!!!! Hey Crystal, check out our FoolMart store. We carry most of those titles and you won't find any Wisemen lurking in the aisles.]