The Fish Store

October 25, 2018

“This is the fish store without any fish.” Dione was escorting us through town, pointing out the different stores and businesses. He was smiling at the irony of the situation. We were looking for vegetable oil so his wife could make supper for the evening. He had been out earlier checking all the groceries to no avail. On this second excursion, our luck held—still no oil. We waited in line to get into a small bodega. Every so often the doors would open, letting half a dozen people inside. When they were done, the doors would be unlocked again to let them out and the new customers in. I wondered what Dione would think if he could walk through a Walmart or Wegmans. We lived in two very different worlds.

We walked through a crowded farmer’s market overflowing with potatoes, beans, bananas, mangoes, peanuts, and much more. Being the capital city, the market rarely lacked for produce. Other towns were not so lucky. The government made the decisions about where the produce went. This was not a free market economy.

“This is the way things are here. We don’t complain; we’re a pretty happy people,” Dione explained. It was true. The people we met were generally happy and uncomplaining, unlike so many Americans who have so much more, but are never satisfied. Perhaps it’s our belief that things can be better. Where Dione lives, it doesn’t make much difference whether or not you work hard. They have a saying, “We pretend to work, and they pretend to pay us.” There, we’ve looked through a dozen stores for small items that can be had by the bucketful here.

The fish store without any fish is today’s reminder to be thankful for the abundance of all we have, and for the opportunities I’ve been given to experience other countries and cultures for comparison. A lot of politicians and their followers seem intent on remaking our country in the image of other places. “Their way is better,” they tell us. I’ve seen it, and I don’t believe it. We have plenty of problems, but we are also blessed beyond belief. If you don’t believe it, just ask Dione. On the other hand, as he said, “We’re a pretty happy people,” proof that stuff doesn’t make you any happier.