Selling at markets is an interesting thing.
You meet a lot, like, a lot of people you don’t know. Many of them stand at a distance away from your booth, not making eye contact or any sort of initiation of conversation. Others will come up and look at everything really quickly, barely giving any time to each handcrafted labor of love. Still others will make pleasant conversation. We’ll talk about my process, or their pets, or the old cameras they have in the basement collecting dust. Then there are the relatively very few who actually make a purchase, love what you have to say and show, and want to take it home with them or gift it to a loved one.
All kinds of people come through your booth, some pleasant, some less so. But regardless of the interactions you have, their lives remain largely a mystery. Who are these people? What are their hopes, dreams, professions, families, passions?
The lady in this photograph avoided my booth entirely, but her hat caught my eye instantly. Who is she? Has she been to Austria? Does she have a friend there, or family? Does she know Stefan? Was the hat a gift perhaps? Maybe she loves the Sound of Music! Or is it something else? There is a world of possibility to explain this fashion choice. I guess I will never know.