Simple Gestures Mean a Lot
Small actions are often the ones that have the biggest effect.
Every Monday morning I go to the laiki agora — Greek for farmer’s market.
The market’s right around the corner, so it’s a good opportunity for me to take a walk in the morning before I spend the rest of the day sitting at my home desk.
There are many vendors, but I am a regular customer of only a few of them; I try to pay attention to what I buy, and avoid purchasing produce that looks too “perfect” or is not in season (like bell peppers or strawberries in December).
I always buy carrots from the same vendor though. He’s a middle-aged, kind man whose stall is always in the same spot. He remembers me by now, so he always gives me a discount or something for free, such as parsley, fennel, or a few more carrots.
Today I passed by his spot, but he wasn’t there. I continued my shopping to purchase a few more things on my list, when I saw him. He was working at another market stand, a one that I had seen before; it is an almost identical stand, selling the exact same things (carrots, fennel, parsley), displayed in the exact same order, and run by a man who looks almost like him.
“I was looking for you”, I said to him smiling.