Gaston

I'd almost like to start this blog post with a psuedo-Yogism, It doesn't pay to buy. Well, Yogi didn't say that, I did. I think it every time I think of Gaston.

I decided one day, to visit the Rideau Center. It's a big shopping center of about 250 stores. It is on one side of Rideau Street and is connected to The Hudson's Bay Company by an overhead walkway. THBC is on the other side of the street, of course. The walkway is enclosed.

In the walkway, there are vendors. Some sell hats and scarfs, usually cashmire and wallets. Anyway, I was walking from THBC when a man stepped out from one of the stalls. He introduced himself as Gaston.

Now I had made a pledge not to buy anything and I knew Gaston was a salesman. I should have kept walking but he was so nice and amiable. I decided to stop but not buy.

What a personality. Well, Gaston convinced me to buy not one, but two kits I didn't need. Eighty dollars. I walked away regretting it immediately and worried what David, my room mate would say.

I walked home.

"What's that?" He asked.

"Some stuff I bought."

"How much did you spend."

Gulp. "Eighty dollars. And it's stuff I don't use."

"Take it back."

"But, you see, Gaston...he is such a good salesman."

"You have a weakness for those people. Give it to me. I'm taking it back."

He left and I felt some relief. An hour later he was back. He still had the bag which he put in front of me. Now there were three kits in it.

"Since when do you buy beauty products?" I asked

"Gaston...he's..."

"A really good salesman? He can make you like him so that you buy things you wouldn't normally?"

"He actually is a good guy."

Right. So now I have three nail kits just waiting  to be used. I tried one, it was nice...sort of. Pretty good for something I don't use.

On the good side, I stopped feeling bad that exact day about my weakness for salesmen. Especially ones like Gaston who make you like them even when they're pushing you to buy something you don't want. He's a supersalesman. But I look for him whenever I'm at the Rideau Center just so I don't end up with more stuff. I turn and walk the other way.