Haircut & Hospitality

I was long overdue for a haircut, so I stopped into my favorite local barber to get my locks trimmed. We enjoyed some conversation, and he gave me a perfect cut, as always, but as I was leaving, he did something else.

He stopped me and asked if I liked “nabe”—earthenware hot pot meals. I had no idea where he was going with it, but I said, “Of course, it’s delicious.”

He told me to wait a moment, and then he returned with a plastic bag with two freshly picked Yuzu lemons in it (these little gems below):

He said, “My parents picked these from their house in Yamanashi this past weekend. Just get a grater and use the Yuzu in your nabe--it will make it taste even better!”  

My first thought was of pure gratitude. How thoughtful and generous of him to do that. I thanked him profusely and left with a big smile on my face.  Nothing like a great haircut and even better hospitality, right?

My second thought as I was walking to my car was, “Wait, his parents are over eighty years old, still picking Yuzu lemons from trees, and hauling entire boxes of them to the post office...”

Man, I wish I had that kind of energy NOW, let alone in my eighties...