.Meet Hamid.

 

.A successful day of selling carpets.

Droplets of sweat quickly form and run down his forehead as he busily works in the heat of a confined rectangular space. Happily he keeps moving from one side of his quaint shop to the other, trying to find the “right” one. The perspiration begins to darken his baby blue button up as it slowly but surely seeps through. Unpiling, unfolding, flipping and showcasing a plethora of designs, materials and colors to see if any will catch the customer’s eye. The few yellow lights in the shop add a nice ambiance as the glass door is the only other source of light. As rays of sun shine through the shop the amounts of dust floating in the air can so clearly be seen.

This is a day in the life of a carpet salesman. Meet Hamid also  known as smiley because of his radiant, friendly, white smile. Born and raised in Kabul, he has been selling coveted, beautiful carpets at the same shop for over 25 years. There is no way to walk into smiley’s shop and not feel welcome, although he drives a hard bargain, he is willing to chat about prices and cut deals. A helper fervently works along side Hamid, making sure he is picking out the best and most desired carpets to show. As they both work together to expose  the beauty within each woven piece of material,before you even realize the shop has been turned upside down and is in complete disarray. The customer comes first in this business and no matter how destroyed his shop may look, it is no sweat off of his back as long as you see the unique art or purchase one of his fine pieces.
So he doesn’t have what you want? Only a quick phone call and in no time at all a fragile, elderly, white haired man will show up with a stack on his shoulder that seems much too heavy for him to be trotting around with.He drops off new designs, colors and styles that you so desired. Hamid has gained trust from many expats here because of his friendship, and genuine personality.

Hamid; just one person, one life with a real story that touches so many  lives here and thrives in this city. 

A Purpose

     It has been a deep desire of mine to tell people's stories to the world. Through pictures and words I will be bringing you the stories and journeys of authentic people from the places I live or happen to stumble upon. Stories that need to be told and that may even bring inspiration. Maybe these people, these lives, these stories will just simply allow us to take a step outside of our own world to see into the world of someone else with a different perspective. I know that this is going to be such a blessing to me and something I have wanted to do for a long time. As I get to know these people and the rich lives they live, I hope that you also will benefit from glimpsing into the life of another human being. 

Thanks Dave for encouraging me to start this.There is more to come soon.

Be blessed and enjoy the ride, 

Allie