American bargaining¹²

At Main Street, near my four-mile mark, there is a shopping mall. From outside you can’t tell that it is a mall, but once you enter, you see all the stores.

Yesterday Databir took me to that mall and I was buying something. The man said, “$60.”

I said, “$40.”

Then the man said “Come here.” He was very rough.

I said to myself, “Physically I know we won’t fight, so why do I have to worry?” So I went towards him very powerfully.

He said, “I said $60, and you have to say $40?”

I said, “You don’t have to sell it.”

Then he said, “Can you not go higher?”

I said, “I am not going higher.”

He said, “Just yesterday I sold one like this for $55.”

So I said, “No, I can’t go higher,” and I walked away. Later, when I was passing by him again, he said, “Hey! Why do you have to act like that?” Then he said something that was insulting. This time I did not go near him.

Then he said, “$55.”

I said, “I won’t give you more than $50.” Then he said, “All right, take it. Just because it is the last one, I am giving it to you for $50.”

Sometimes people treat you so mercilessly, but I enjoy their talk! When I go shopping, I become part and parcel of the shopping world and all my headaches go away. It is great fun! This is the only way I can mix with people at their own level.

From:Sri Chinmoy,I love shopping, part 5, Agni Press, 1994
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/ls_5