Tuesday, September 27, 2011

It's not about the money...

I woke up thinking about Leslie this morning...I hope I am spelling his name correctly and if not, I apologize. To explain this, I need to go back to our previous moves overseas. Not that there have been that many (this is number 3 for us), but each time almost the minute we got off the airplane we are told about a local person who we MUST meet and buy from and always there is a story...

Iceland was the land of wool and sheepskins and if I remember correctly we are still using the blankets we bought the first week we arrived there 28 years ago. Belgium introduced us to Martin the benchmaker. We came home with three of those pieces of art (according to me), and I can honestly say I was not the first one to buy within the first week we were there in 1996 (you know who you are :-). Again...the benches have stories...

Now we come to Leslie...he owns a carpet store and has been here in Abu Dhabi for over 20 years. Everyone here knows Leslie and Leslie remembers everyone he meets. I met him the first full day I was here and am fascinated by him and his stories. He is closing his store to go home and everyone here is sad to see him go. There is no such thing as just buying a carpet from him. There's coffee or tea and lots of laughing and good conversation. His life has been his relationships with his clients and everyone who walks in his store is just a friend he hasn't met yet. I wish he would write a book...call it the Rug Store knowing his stories are not about his carpets, but about his friends and all the people he has encountered throughout the years. I've only known him for a couple of weeks and I miss him already...

To quote Leslie..."it's not about the money"...We will miss you, Leslie. Thank you for being so kind.

2 comments:

  1. Where are you? I can't keep it all straight--sounds like you just got to AD and are now back in VA??

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