Today, after many years, perhaps for the first time I have arrived at the market here. There are so many economies here. Shopping – of course – following routines too… Efficiency – the most beautiful thing for the best price. Meeting people, looking out for acquaintances. What I never saw is the social. People know one another and play music for one another. Share coffee and quiche, stories, and sing together. How do you perceive a market, how do you share in it? A man who understands himself as spiritual and energetic sat down beside me. He lives in the side street. He asks me whether he may give me a message from the universe. Why not? We had a small, beautiful conversation about positivity, self-love, freedom and tolerance…
Playing for the birds
I had sat down beside a guitar player; he played sad Latin American music, beautifully. Apparently he often simply plays in the forest, for the birds; in the past, apparently, concerts. He takes no money. A businessman wanted to leave money; there was no basket. He puts one euro on a box. That was an insult, surely, alms that apparently let the giver feel good. But how petty is the happiness felt, I wonder, if it is worth one euro? What is someone who plays for the birds supposed to do with one euro? He was not perceived at all, an economic parallel universe.
What had happened? For a moment I became part of the market. I communicated in many different ways with people who either have a stall there or are neighbors coming for a little chat, and with children playing. The tourists suddenly became invisible. As if by magic, they were suddenly mere shadows. A vitality of the here and now opened itself to me; I was allowed to share in it. When I left, I was seen off as one of them. We were there together for a moment. Shared it, enjoyed it, free as the birds.
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