Honest Business Practices

I went to the store during lunch today to pick up bread. As I was walking out of the store, a man walking beside me said "Hello!" I replied with a cursory hello as I continued walking to my car not paying much attention to the man. Then the man started talking about my haircut at which time I recognized that he was my barber. We chatted briefly, and I told him that I would be in this week to see him. It was a welcome surprise even though it should not have been a surprise at all (the barber shop and store are right across the street from each other).

Anyway, I got into my car and started to drive off when I saw someone running at me. My immediate thought was to grab my gun, but I remembered that I left that with my mother so that she could defend herself on the rough streets of Thomaston, GA. After thinking about some self defense moves, I saw that it was again my barber who was running at my car. I rolled down my window, and he told me that he overcharged me on my last visit and that he would give me a discount this time when I came in to see him. He could not have overcharged me that much because the haircut was only $2. He told me that he would only charge my 5000 quacha this time ($1.11). I really don't care about the discount, but I just thought about how nice and honest his actions were. I had no idea he overcharged me and would have never have known the difference (I am an ignorant American in some regards and in other regards language difficulties make it difficult to question things like that). He did not have to offer me the discount but was honest and upfront about his dealings. So many times you hear of corruption in all spheres of life in Africa. Sadly to say this is many times true, and this is definitely a problem. At the same time, it is not everyone. My barber it turns out is a very honest businessman even when nobody is holding him to be. I thought a story of hope is something that needed to be told because I know that the 24 hour news stations are not telling you stories like these. May there be more stories of hope in our lives because I know that I don't get tired of hearing them.

By the way, for those of you reading this blog who do not know my family, my mother is a precious woman who is in no way like the woman I have depicted on this blog. Even though I may make up stories about her hitting me in church and her carrying a firearm, she has never once hit me and does not own a gun though she did steal our neighbor's gun once (JUST KIDDING MOM :). I told her nobody believed those stories for a second (see earlier post if you are wondering what story), but I just wanted to briefly defend her honor. Here is to my precious mother. But all the other stories on this blog are true, and I will defend their veracity until the day that I die. Peace and love!