Rain poured, the wind howled, and I sat there shivering. "Why do I have to be here?" I thought.
My first sentence is a bit exaggerated. Last week at the farmer's market it was raining and, yes, I was cold, but it wasn't a torrential downpour.
I have experienced many different situations while working hard to make a profit on my home-made bread. There have been drizzly days where the customers seem to be smarter than the vendors by staying home. With determintaion, we set up our booth, vowing to conquer the moody weather and stay faithful to our little businesses. Unfortunately, our ambition fades half way through the day and the wind makes fun of us by pushing over delicate flowers and playing tricks on our tent. Some vendors give up while others stick it out. When the market closes, we rush home anticipating the warmth of a quilted blanket and devouring the leftover goodies that never sold. There has also been warm, sunny days where the customers are like bees on a flower. Crowds of people come at once; a man in a blue, silk tie carries on a converstaion about the danger of GMOs and asking my opinion on Obama healthcare. Meanwhile, I struggle to calculate four people's purchases at once and accurately give them their change. My mind struggles to balance it all, but I succeed with only making a mistake on one person's purchase and nodding my head with everything the businessman feels inclined to say. At the end of the busy day, I go home exhausted, but grateful I made a good profit.
As you see, I have experienced a lot by bringing Two Loaves and a Hyacinth* to the farmer's market each week. I have met many different vendors and delighted in conversing with them.
I love having a market stand! It's what I love to do. I wasn't made to be some prestigious person with a big career. I was made to live a simple, creative life. I was made to be a caregiver, bake people good food, create beauty, enjoy the simple joys of life. Our business is very small and we're far from being qualified to call ourselves a real business, but we're just beginning. We'll see what happens.
