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<\/a> <\/p>\nI needed some yeast and some spelt flour ( and some sliced almonds and surprisingly, some chocolate covered pretzels- turns out I needed <\/strong>all of these items!) After we got to the store a truck pulled up next to us LOADED down with beautiful FRESH veggies!<\/p>\n A distinguished looking older man got out of the truck and addressed us and a group of ladies standing in front of the store eating ice cream cones with their children. “Ladies, I have some fresh produce from my garden, if you are interested. “<\/p>\n Being always interested, we went over to look at a lovely array of vegetables and several large watermelons. <\/p>\n “How much for the zucchini ?” the lady asked.<\/p>\n ” However much you think it is worth.” he replied.<\/p>\n She backed away slightly- this in not an answer that she could deal comfortably with. Then she started talking nervously while she started selecting from the baskets and boxes, piling up a mound of vegetables that would have cost at least $20 in my experienced farmer’s market opinion. <\/p>\n ” So, how much for this?” She asked again.<\/p>\n “How much do you want to pay?”<\/p>\n “I don’t know… how much do you want?”<\/p>\n He smiled and had pity on her. “How about $4? Do you think it is worth $4?”<\/p>\n She reached into her purse, pulled out the bills and whisked her pile into bags-calling to her children who were sticky by now with ice cream dripping down their arms and faces-” Come on. Help me get this into the car!”<\/p>\n Cynthia and I had been picking out our vegetables while they transacted their business (although the lady had taken ALL of the available courgettes and I was a little miffed at her) . We had a small watermelon, 2 eggplants, a package of lima beans and 4 jalapeno peppers, “Well, Ladies, is there anything else I can help you get?”<\/p>\n “No thank you- your vegetables are truly lovely.”<\/p>\n ” I supply a local college and this is what is left over after they took what they want. Sure you can’t use any more of those peppers?”<\/p>\n Smiling, we gave him $10 dollars and went into the bulk store to pick up my flour and other necessities.<\/p>\n He was sitting on a lawn chair next to his truck when we came back out. <\/p>\n “Have a nice day ladies!” he called out to us.<\/p>\n We turned and asked what college he grew his vegetables for. He named a college in a nearby city and said that he had been a professor there and after retiring he had taken up gardening and loved it. <\/p>\n I asked what he had taught and he smiled and said, “Ethics. Business and otherwise. But no one ever paid much attention to what I said or taught.”<\/p>\n We got into the car and drove off. I was thinking, ethics. The man taught ethics and then gave people an opportunity to pay what they thought things were worth.<\/p>\n It was like an episode of ” What would you do?” with John Quinones. A small experiment into human nature- when offered the opportunity of a huge bargain or a fair price- what avenue do you take? Do you pay the least possible or give what the market value is currently? Do you do the right thing or take advantage?<\/p>\n And what is the right thing in this situation and in these times?<\/p>\n It should have been a simple trip into the country, but I was suddenly looking very seriously at myself and wondering. I think we gave a fair price. It was not a GOOD price- he certainly could have asked for more and I would have paid it.<\/p>\n I came away thinking about equity- about how often we look for an edge over others and hope for a chance to get a good deal. My children have educate me into the concept of fair trade globally, I try to buy locally and organically when I can afford it, and I have cut down on using paper and plastic bags by using a cloth bag- these are not concepts I learned at my mother’s knee – but at my children’s requests and reminders. But was does that mean when someone says – “Pay what you think it is worth.” I think it is worth more than I could afford!<\/p>\n I am blown away by the hard work and dedication it takes to bring a garden to harvest and then load it up and sell it at a stand. I worked for my neighbours down the road to help in their stand for a season, when my friend developed cancer. I truly appreciate the labor and beauty of the vegetables.<\/p>\n And so we paid our $10. Not an unreasonable offering. He was satisfied. We were happy. It was within the realm of the ethical that I got tripped up, later. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n .Ethics<\/b> (also known as moral philosophy<\/b>) is a branch of philosophy<\/a> that addresses questions about morality<\/a> \u2014 that is, concepts such as good and evil<\/a>, right and wrong, justice<\/a>, virtue<\/a>, etc.<\/p>\n from Wikipedia<\/em>– also<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Post-structuralism and postmodernism argue that the world is relational; therefore, ethics must study the complex situation of actions. A simple alignment of idea of right and particular act is not possible. There will always be a remainder that is part of the ethical issue that cannot be taken into account in a relational world. Such theorists find narrative to be a helpful tool for understanding ethics because narrative is always about particular life stories in all their lived complexity rather than consist of a the assignment of an idea or norm to an action.<\/p>\n >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><\/p>\n Really- all I wanted was a fresh watermelon.<\/p>\n Yesterday, my sister and I were shopping at a bulk food store. I needed some yeast and some spelt flour ( and some sliced almonds and surprisingly, some chocolate covered pretzels- turns out I needed all of these items!) After … Continue reading <\/a>a tomato and 2 onions.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"