Am I naive? too idealistic? Two life lessons - at a farmers market and from lunch with a friend. [View all]
I was happily heading for the farmers market this morning for my usual Saturday morning produce run. As I approached the market, one of the plant vendors called me over. He asked me to go to a competing vendor and buy 10 of a particular rare plant - he would pay me to do so - so that he would have it and could propagate it and undersell the other vendor. The person that asked me this is a typical volume supplier whose goal (from speaking with other vendors- this is the market where I sell my tomato plants each spring) is to put other vendors out of business by offering their exclusives and selling them for less.
It didn't take me long - a few seconds - to say that there is no way I could or would do that - it is a process I want no part of. I experience it myself - heirloom tomato plants are no longer hard to find, and being a tiny occasional seller, there is no way I can match the prices of the box store volume producers....most people won't pay a premium for expertise and knowledge, it seems, which is fine - the plant thing is more of a hobby than anything that sustains us. Anyway, I just got home, but have to say that the event colored my morning - and fits nicely into the next part of this...
My wife and I had lunch a few weeks ago with a local garden writer and friend who is somewhat taking me under her wing and providing whatever wisdom and advice she can, since my first book on gardening will come out next year and this means entering a whole new world from my previous endeavors. She shared with me how cutthroat it is - that I should expect bad reviews from people who don't care for me, my methods, or because I don't play the "with us or against us" game in gardening cliques (of which there are many). Which I don't - I try to get along with all, and don't join this or that group. She also shared how much effort will go in to stealing the images in my website, distort my stories - whatever it takes to cut me down and elevate themselves.
Once again...am I too naive or idealistic - it makes me self reflect on why I think things could or should be different - open, sharing, rooting for each other rather than tearing each other down due to envy...
Anyway - My Saturday morning jaunts to the market always give me something to reflect on, and I never know which way it will go. Today is was another chapter in my effort to figure out why people - all of us - are like we are....
And as always, I come up stumped! I guess all we can do is tend our own gardens (no pun intended) - set an example for others of how we see things, treat people as we wish to be treated - try not to give into the anger and disappointment, and find those good things in each day that make it all worth it, when it is all counted up.
Just thought it was something to share.....
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