“I hear it’s a pretty nice day outside,” said the butcher.
“Yes—it is,” I said with a smile generated by the pleasant spring day. “I sure hope you got out and enjoyed the sun and warmth yesterday. I hear it’s going to rain tonight.”
“I was here all day yesterday—first time the store didn’t close early on Easter,” he replied.
Are you thinking what I was thinking?
“That’s awful. My feathers rankle a little bit when I see stores open on major holidays. Can’t the world take a collective breath on occasion?” I asked.
Here’s where the butcher offers us his glasses so we can see things from his side of the meat counter.
“Actually, it’s really hard to shut down the store for a day. Not so much for the dry goods, but produce, meat and dairy—we need to keep our perishables turning over. When I’ve ordered less stock in anticipation of a holiday, I’ve been burned by running out of things on the busy day before. Customers don’t like it,” he took a breath and continued, “We were packed on Saturday and believe it or not—on Easter, too.”
Surprised?
“I had never once thought of it that way! The modern world has so many engines with moving parts, slamming on the brakes can create havoc, huh? Now my mind is jumping back to a massive ship I once saw unloading bananas in San Diego…so many connections!”
He answered, “Exactly—I’d rather just work and keep the flow running smooth.”
“Thanks for giving me a new perspective,” I said. “Have a good afternoon!”
With crinkles around his eyes, he wished me the same.
The conversation was a great reminder that my perceptions do not match everybody’s reality….