Flea market

(Taken with my iPhone)

They say that experience is a tough teacher – it gives you the test first and the lesson later, and that has certainly been the case for us down at Amcorp Mall for the last ten weeks.

Every Saturday and Sunday, a group of us wake up early (try 7am!) and make our way down to KL’s premier flea market, to raise funds for our organisation.

This tradition of Kechara members in flea markets began nearly ten years ago when, as a band of Dharma gypsies, mum and a few others got together to raise funds for Rinpoche in pretty much the same way.

The flea market isn’t easy work. It involves a lot of lugging and carrying, planning, managing human resources, dealing with management, balancing budgets and accounts, marketing (to whatever limits the mall has set for us), and talking to people I would not normally go out of my way to speak to…flea markets tend to attract some avant-garde (read: odd) characters! As a person who would rather be hiding behind a computer, or tucked away in bed reading, doing all of this has been totally out of my comfort zone…

Speaking to strangers? Why on earth would I do that?! Being anal about money? Never been my style.

But the last ten weeks has been an enjoyable, if tough experience. It’s taught me that nothing’s really impossible, and that only I set a limit to myself. I’ve also realised that every moment is an opportunity to shine and why not? Why not look good doing something for others, if it attracts people to join you in the same cause?

As much as I cherish my sleep, and as much as my comfort zone is warm and safe, I also know doing a good job at Amcorp Mall is a character-building experience that will be difficult for me to find elsewhere, in books or otherwise.

flea market, humility, photo, responsibility, Tsem Tulku Rinpoche Kecharians, Reflections and Teachings