A little after 7 yesterday morning, Kelsey and I headed for Old Town…the temps were great, not crisp but certainly refreshing; fall is definitely in the air. We arrived before the mad rush which is always a good thing because the selection is better and with fewer people I get better shots of all the wares. We had breakfast with our friend Bob and then headed back for the “real world.” Today’s real world included impulse shopping at our church’s annual Bazaar (I bought 1 book for fifty cents), a quick lunch and then to baseball with Kyle while Kels did homework. Baseball wasn’t too inspiring. Kelsey went to the movies at the new newly opened mall with some of her friends while Diane, Kyle and I watched an old movie. The movie: “Matrix”…shouldn’t be categorized as “old” but there’s something about 1999 that’s so last century.
When I used to travel 25-20 years ago, I’d wake up very early in foreign cities and do walkabouts to shake out the cobwebs before the day started but also to ingest “the feel” of the city. Normally not many people are about, beverage trucks, food trucks, street cleaners, garbage collectors, joggers, etc. The damp smell of diesel fuel, old buildings, and…fresh bread. Even in a strange city, the smells and sounds of early morning can be comforting.
At night when you walk the streets of Old Town you often find musicians…all sorts. Strings, singers, chorales, guitar players, sax players, crystal glass players and more. Once in a while, there is a musician at the market, not often. This young man had the place moving with a variety of songs that had people laughing, clapping, and dancing.
Some people come to the market to buy goods, some people come to the market to watch people, some people come to the market to visit with friends (new & old) but I think underneath it all, most people come to the market to experience an “event” that is the way we think things are supposed to be. All the laughing, city folks meeting country folks, music, food, flowers…the sights, smells and sounds of being neighborly. Of course, that’s me being Pollyanna again. But that’s my view. The flower vendors light up when they see Kelsey and ensure she gets an extra flower or entire bouquet.I intuit that most people’s (not all) sharp edges are softened and that this is the place where we can feel good.
Of course, the market products are changing as fall arrives. I must admit that I will miss the fresh fruits that are being replaced by “fresh” beets. I mean really, look at those beets…do they look fresh? Of course, I’m sure they are delicious but they don’t rise to the level of a strawberry!!