Market Mysteries
While I was doing my usual volunteering at the market Saturday morning, I was asked the strangest question.
"Are you volunteering?"
"Yes."
"Why would you do that?"
I stumbled out some vague answer, but was taken aback. The phrasing and tone of voice felt like an attack on volunteering in general as though no one should ever do anything for free. A kinder interpretation would be that she thought the market was an odd place to volunteer. In some ways, I suppose it is since it is a bit like volunteering to work as a greeter at a store, but as a non-profit cooperative, having volunteers is not unusual.
The most generous version I can imagine is that she thought I was doing amazing work and should be getting paid for my efforts, but that certainly didn't feel like what she was saying. Actually, maybe she was just wondering in general why I volunteer. That's much easier to answer - people I know and like ask me to help with an organization I care about. I don't think anyone thinks they have to be paid to help their friends.
The other strange thing that happened on Saturday was that there was a pretty blonde woman who stopped to talk to me. Twice. That in itself isn't unusual, but the nature of the conversations was different. Normal market conversations are things like the following:
"Morning. The market is both up and downstairs."
"Downstairs too?!"
"Yes."
Or
"Is Joel here today?"
"Sorry, no. He had some issues getting production up and running this spring."
Or
"Have a nice day."
"You too!"
These conversations seemed more directed at me than just normal pleasantries or information inquiries. Even that wouldn't be unusual if I recognized her, but it seemed unusually personal for someone I didn't know at all. Was she flirting with me? Almost certainly not, but it was fun to speculate. She was wearing a blue blouse with embroidered trim which struck me as perhaps being Hungarian in styling and made me wonder if she came to support the new vendor who was selling Hungarian chimney cakes. Still, I hope she comes back next week and chats some more. I'll be there eating chimney cake and saying a not so fond farewell to the Shrine Centre. (The indoor markets are moving this fall. The new location has not been determined, but it will almost certainly be a single floor so I won't be have to tell people to go downstairs anymore.)
"Are you volunteering?"
"Yes."
"Why would you do that?"
I stumbled out some vague answer, but was taken aback. The phrasing and tone of voice felt like an attack on volunteering in general as though no one should ever do anything for free. A kinder interpretation would be that she thought the market was an odd place to volunteer. In some ways, I suppose it is since it is a bit like volunteering to work as a greeter at a store, but as a non-profit cooperative, having volunteers is not unusual.
The most generous version I can imagine is that she thought I was doing amazing work and should be getting paid for my efforts, but that certainly didn't feel like what she was saying. Actually, maybe she was just wondering in general why I volunteer. That's much easier to answer - people I know and like ask me to help with an organization I care about. I don't think anyone thinks they have to be paid to help their friends.
The other strange thing that happened on Saturday was that there was a pretty blonde woman who stopped to talk to me. Twice. That in itself isn't unusual, but the nature of the conversations was different. Normal market conversations are things like the following:
"Morning. The market is both up and downstairs."
"Downstairs too?!"
"Yes."
Or
"Is Joel here today?"
"Sorry, no. He had some issues getting production up and running this spring."
Or
"Have a nice day."
"You too!"
These conversations seemed more directed at me than just normal pleasantries or information inquiries. Even that wouldn't be unusual if I recognized her, but it seemed unusually personal for someone I didn't know at all. Was she flirting with me? Almost certainly not, but it was fun to speculate. She was wearing a blue blouse with embroidered trim which struck me as perhaps being Hungarian in styling and made me wonder if she came to support the new vendor who was selling Hungarian chimney cakes. Still, I hope she comes back next week and chats some more. I'll be there eating chimney cake and saying a not so fond farewell to the Shrine Centre. (The indoor markets are moving this fall. The new location has not been determined, but it will almost certainly be a single floor so I won't be have to tell people to go downstairs anymore.)
