Carrie Link

THE DIFFICULT ONE

Walked into a Tibetan Buddhist store yesterday, just killing time while Woohoo and her friend shopped for jeans a block away. We're at that phase where she doesn't need me to help her shop, but needs the rides, so I find myself enjoying parts of my own city I've previously ignored.

The Tibetan man that owns the shop (we go way back, he used to be in another location), was talking to two people, a man and woman, about singing bowls.

In a deep southern accent the woman said, "Now we just need to arrive at a price. I was in here last week, I also bought a bunch of stuff from you at Saturday Market yesterday, what can you do for me?"

I would never in a million years suggest to a shop owner (in Portland, Oregon) that the price ON the item was not the price I was willing to pay, so my ears perked up.

"You will be very happy," the man said, his two long braids giving an extra swing as he smiled from ear-to-ear.

"You never know about me," she drawled.

"Oh, she's tough to make happy," her husband said in his matching drawl.

"I make her happy with price," said my friend, the Tibetan.

"Well then, I'll need to pay attention to your technique," quipped the husband good naturedly.

All three laughed: the shop owner, the husband, and the wife.

I thought, That's why their marriage works. They agree on which one is the difficult one.

My next thought was, STM is lucky to be married to the easy one.

Now to convince him.