The African market square has always been more than a place of buying and selling. It’s the heart of the community. A stage where dramas unfold, stories are shared, and laughter flows as freely as trade. Traders here seem to master not only the art of selling but also the fine craft of throwing banters. Beyond the haggling voices of sellers and buyers lies something more vibrant: the voice of humour.
I walked into the market on a Saturday morning to get a few things. It’s my number one destination for the freshest vegetables and the day’s slaughter. I made my last stop at the butcher’s stall after buying all other items on my list. They’re usually the last to set up as it takes some time for the beef to get to the market from the slaughter house. Despite that, I still needed to wait a little while for my regular butcher to debone and cut my preferred portion.
As I lingered, I noticed a group of women selling fresh vegetables at the neighbouring stalls. Clearly, they had all attended a party the previous night. Remnants of makeup still clung to their faces, now smudged by fits of laughter that flowed freely in this place. So, while I waited for the beef, I couldn’t help listening to the women as they recapped the hilarious moments of the party they had attended the night before.
Their stories, told in my native language, had the entire group in stitches. Every animated recap was followed with a burst of laughter. These tales where hilarious even to me, despite not being at the party. Initially, I tried to hold my laughter. I needed to behave myself in the market, but a particular highlight got me bursting into laughter. At that point, one of the women exclaimed, “Mummy too is laughing!” And indeed, I was.
Laughter is contagious
I caught the bug. As they continued their recap, I listened and laughed along. In that short span, I laughed more than I had in weeks. I found the gift of laughter in the most unexpected place. This wasn’t a staged performance or a scripted comedy. It was raw, authentic storytelling; real life experience with a humorous twist.
When the butcher handed over my beef, I didn’t want to leave yet because I hadn’t heard the concluding part of the story. The clips were still being replayed, but I had to go.
Laughter is Free
The beauty of it all: the laughter was free. When it was time to pay, I only had to pay for the beef I bought. I didn’t have to pay for the laughter, which is the one thing we can carry home, and everywhere without ever worrying about its weight and price.
As I drove home, I pondered on the human connection in that market. It wasn’t just the women who were happy, even the butchers were caught up in the fun as they ran witty commentaries. And we, the customers were also entertained. The whole market seemed to buzz with happiness and laughter.
We can learn from them. In the face of economic pressures and daily struggles, these traders chose happiness. Their dramas, jokes, and humour must be therapeutic in the midst of the noise, chaos and harshness of their work environment. They are a reminder that laughter can be found in the most ordinary places. Read https://fullnineyards.com/what-a-street-child-taught-me-about-compassion-kindness-shines-in-hardship/ and discover how kindness and compassion can be found in life’s harshest situations.
Laughter is Portable
Since we don’t pay for laughter, why can’t we all be intentional about finding it every day and carrying it everywhere we go? I left the butcher’s stall happier than I arrived because I shared in the hilarious recap of these women’s stories. And I carried that laughter home.
We all can. Let’s carry laughter everywhere we go: at home, at work, in the society and even in solitude. It’s weightless yet it carries the power to lighten heavy hearts. If we compare our everyday reality to the relentless grind of market women, do we really have any excuse not to laugh? These women show us that happiness is not about circumstance, it’s about perspective.
Personal Reflection
Laughter abounds everywhere if we can just change our perspective and look at the brighter side of life. Initially, I tried to hold the laughter, I wanted to mind my own business in a public space, but my heart was about to burst, so I let it out.
Finding laughter in the market square is a lesson in living lightly. We can find happiness and laughter in the most-humble places. It teaches us to embrace joy even in the midst of our busy lifestyle. These market women remind us that community thrives not only on work values but on shared laughter. And perhaps, the next time we step into our offices or work environment, we should pay as much attention to the humour in our enforced camaraderie as we do to the files and emails waiting for our attention.
Best of all, laughter is free, portable and contagious: we should let it flow and carry it with us everywhere we go.