Hmmmmm

The Right Idea?

My friend Jeff

So I made a new friend... His name is Jeff. I met Jeff two weeks ago when he came into the stall at the Farmer's Market. I couldn't tell when I met him if he was homeless or just an eccentric dresser. He was very polite and sweet and didn't steal anything. He was ok in my book.

Anyway, I met Jeff again at Molly's last Saturday night when I was suffering a severe depression from my bridesmaids dress looking like a freaking sausage casing on me and having my sister (the Bride) tell me 15 times that it wasn't going to zip. He came into the patio and I went up and introduced myself and told him I was the nut lady from the Market... I invited him to come back the next day and I'd hook him up with some discount raisins.

When he left he stopped at our table and said "I can't give much, but I can still give compliments, and you three girls are just beautiful.  See you tomorrow."

Well, in my current "Could a dog leash and the studs in my ceiling support my elephantine body weight long enough for me to David Carradine myself" state of mind, his compliment made me feel just a little less um.... round.

So he comes on Sunday and I introduce him to Aaron, Aaron gives me the "You don't like regular people at the market but you'll be friends with a homeless?" look, I smile and say "That's right,   he thinks I'm pretty."

I take Jeff to the dried fruits to find him a say and say, "Do you like raisins?"
Jeff says no, I laugh and without two-seconds of thought say to him: "Are you nuts?"

Now what I meant was, are you a nut person, do you prefer nuts to fruit. But what he and I both heard was: "Are you nuts?"

To which he replied, "Well, yes, a little."

Well now I've got a project, a makeover waiting to happen..



My mother already told me he can't live here, (even in the garage) so I'm taking suggestions.

What to do with Jeff. A makeover seems obvious to me but possibly a little impractical. Should I ask him how he became homeless? Is that rude? Can I ask him where he sleeps? What is the homeless to homed etiquette?

We've all seen that episode of 90210 where Brenda brings the homeless guy to Christmas and we all remember how that worked out. He's just so nice, and he thinks I'm pretty.

Happy New Yeaaa

As I begin the year of my 30th one here on earth I've been spending more and more time thinking. Thinking about the serious stuff like the meaning of life.... sustaining joy and love... fitting into size 10 jeans... strategizing my kidnap of Dave and how to get Chihuahuas to stop barking at a mailman.

In my mental travels I've decided upon some things that have become or need to become priorities of mine (like the size 10 jean thing). I'm settling into the decision that the best way for materialize my thoughts is to share them with you. To open myself and to failure and success and love and ego reducing sharing.

I think sometimes we're so afraid of judgement that we limit ourselves to the safety of things we're familiar with.  But that so far has left me feeling well, just limited. And as the hours and days fly by faster and faster it's becoming blazingly apparent to me that life is too short. Certainly too short for hatred and anger but more importantly, too short not to be outrageous and a source of light for those who only see darkness.

My light screams to me sometimes when I see people stuck in a negative rut, but I'm realizing that isn't my light screaming, it's my ego. Instead of doing the judging I fear so steeply, I need to "Become the change I want to see in the world." Change the batteries in my light so that it can help light the path for someone else.

And here it is. Here is the plan. Get ready. Got a pen? You're going to want to write this down.
I'm going to love. I'm going to look at everyone that makes me want to cringe or snap or shout or rage or cry or anything other than love and I'm going to take the time to realize that the same energy that made me made them. I'm going to take the time to realize that all anyone wants or acts for is that same love. The overwhelming love I feel when I listen to Dave or swaddle Lilly like a baby and force her to look me in the eye while I sing True Colors to her. The love I feel when my husband makes me laugh or hugs me with arms that make me disappear. The love I feel for my families and the laughter we share.

I'm going to appreciate. I'm going to appreciate every moment, every storm, every smile, every blessed sip of life I'm lucky enough to partake in.

I'm going to share. Share my joy and love, my good my bad and treat everyone how I want to be treated. No matter how annoying they are.

I'm going to update my blog regularly. Weekly, daily if I get a hair up my ass.

I'm ready for change, I'm ready for limitless living and I'm ready to have an audience.

Will you try with me?
 There's a poll on the top right! 

Week 2

So the results are in.... People like hugs.

Here are the stats:

185 customers
1 Marriage proposal
1 Threat of swine flu
7 Hug requests
1 Hug requested without purchase (ending in lingering hands on my shanks)
1 very wet kiss on the cheek from an old lady
1 person ran, and I mean RAN away and through the market

1 very normal young man who after shopping for a while was offered is free hug while ringing up said,
I didn't buy it for nothin!

And last but not least an easy 95% of people laughed either during or after the hug.

Marrrrrio Hug

This is Mario (of Mario and Luigi fame) from the Halloween Superstore at the New Park Mall.

Last year they had a guy walking through the market with a horrifying monster mask on. I yelled out from our stall "Your mask is scaring me!"

To which he replied "Yours is scaring me"

Marie and Mario

Week 1

Since this was my first week I didn't keep exact count so all of my statistics are approximate.

Number of customers: 200
Number of hugs declined: 9
Number of hugs requested: 1
Number of repeat customers: 3
Number of people who said "I could really use a hug" 4
Number of people who I witnessed hugging someone after I hugged them: 1

Percentage of people who laughed either during or after their hug: 90%

I truly warmed me (that and standing on blacktop in 90 degree heat) to share my energy and receive the energy of and with the people around me. None of the hugs made me uncomfortable (which I was expecting) only 2 of them lasted a little longer than I was prepared for and there was no one I wasn't willing to hug.

I'm excited to see what happens next week.

Treating everyone like a treasure.

The range of emotion one person can feel in any given day working in the customer service industry can be exhausting. Specifically, the range of emotion and facial expressions I go through in any given day is     exhausting. 

Tired of trying to control myself and my luminescent spectrum of emotion, I needed a way to focus on something more positive. I needed a project.

Working at the Newark Farmer's Market provided me the stage, the customers provided me the subjects. Nothing spikes my rage like having someone tell me to make their $4.20 purchase $4.00. "Make it 4 dollars." Not really a question, not really phrased politely, and not really business savey or fair for that matter to let each customer decide how much they will be paying for their locally farm grown fruits....

It to put it mildly, makes my blood boil.

After a few years of finding varying clever-ish ways to say "No, you need to pay what it's marked" I was no closer to not having heart palpations at least once a week.

A few weeks ago I witnessed my boss/friend Marie hugging our market manager. Having requested a hug earlier that day and having been DENIED said hug, I asked her how. How do you get someone to hug you when they clearly do not want to? Within a few customers, she had taught me. Most of it in the tone, some of it in the smile and the rest of it, putting your arms out and walking (sometimes very slowly and cautiously) towards them saying: "Gimmmmeee a huuuuuug."

Well it officially started today. "Free Hug With Purchase." There are signs, handy for pointing when a language barrier arises and people know the word FREE but don't understand what they're getting for free. Some people actually held their hand out for me to put the hug in...

My goal is simple. I want to change the way I feel about people. And then I want to change the way they feel about people. I want us to appreciate the people around us more, and treat even the most blood boiling blood boiler like they're a treasure. I want to change the vibe of the market, and maybe more.