God bless the carpet salesmen. They are conversational, persistent and determined to get their hooks in you. Rather than ignore them, I like to give them some grief. Occasionally, as when we sat in the park to just enjoy the day, one might be accosted by a friendly face who just happens to speak your language fluently and wants to converse to “improve his skills.”
After a few minutes and friendly denials, laughter, questions and teasing, I will pull out my secret weapon. A mint. I do not travel without them. They go a long way in thanking someone for their time, their little kindness, or just making a friend. Individually wrapped they do not pose a threat. It pretty much stops whoever has spent unanswered sales time with me in their tracks. Today it took five mints out of my collection, but all were received with gratitude.
That’s all it’s about – giving something back. I hope I have enough mints for the trip!
