Trina Machacek: Even trades are grand deals

Trina Machacek

Trina Machacek

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In life as experiences and opportunities pop up I like to think I make good decisions. Good decisions make good deals. I have always thought and said that it’s only a good deal when both parties walk away with happy in their hearts and smiles on their faces.
Does that make me look like I live with my head in the clouds? Probably does, in light of all the things that happen in the world on a day to day basis. But! Yes a cloud covered “but.” I would rather have my head in the clouds than stuck in the ground.
Recently I made a deal, a trade that, well you decide if it was a good trade. Donuts are good food. Yes I know too much of anything is not a good thing. Then there are donuts. I am now and really always have been a plain Jane person. It’s not a choice made for any specific reason. It just a matter of fact.
I am not showy. Even if you put me down in front of 15 colorfully sprinkle dazzled cream or jelly filled donuts and in that array there is a plain glazed one? I will always go for that plain donut. But hey now you’re thinking of nothing but donuts aren’t you? Go on, get one, I’ll wait. No I won’t.
This trade was not intentional. I actually was just going to give a friend a box of these nuggets of golden delightful donuts. Colorful and sweet. Nothing in return. That’s just how I roll. HAHA Jelly roll. Quit thinking about donuts. Moving on.
Oh, I know the magic of donuts. They can sit on the counter for a few days and they still have the ability to pull you into their sugar lair. Cup of coffee and a donut. Now that’s the breakfast of champions.
I gave the box of donuts to my friend as we sat and gabbed a bit. Then out of nowhere my friend got up and disappeared for a few moments. Soon I was given an amazing item. In trade for the donuts? Something I have never had before. Something that I think is very cool. To protect the identity of my friend I cannot tell you what it is. I will tell you this. The interaction with friends is something that I hold as near and dear to me as I hold the happiness of that first bite of a soft, melt in your mouth donut. As special as a soft spring breeze.
How does it happen that we stumble into daily deals? I took the donuts and “poof” got something cool. It never occurred to me that there would be a trade. As a matter of fact I would say in this particular trade I got the best of the deal. I got to visit AND got a cool thingy too. My friend? Well my friend got fresh donuts. See, we both walked away with happy smiles. Now that was a good deal.
Not to be nit picky, but is there a difference between a deal and a trade? I think maybe there might be. Both should be equal. I mean a trade brings to mind a whiskery mountain man who spends all winter trapping beavers along rivers in snowy places. Then he comes to civilization and trades his pelts for supplies like a chaw of tabaccie, some rot gut and maybe some fat back and corn dodger makings.
Then the trading post owner takes the pelts he traded the mountain man for and makes a deal with the fur buyer. The fur buyer then takes the pelts to the furrier and deals with the coat maker. In the end the coat maker sells the coat for money. In essence he traded the fur for money. Money really is just another supply of something used to trade. Whether furs or money is used to deal or trade, everyone is happy. Well except for the beaver!
I like the thought that over the years deals were not always about money. Oh it will all eventually come down to money. Come on I don’t live in a flower. Life is not all soft pedals and sweet smells. There will always be a need, want and desire for money.
Then again, if you just think of money as a “thingy” used to trade it makes it somewhat easier to trade green backs for eggs. That in itself is a deal right? Wow, especially if the egg is an ostrich egg. Now that would be a great deal to trade donuts for wouldn’t it?
Trade happily and never ever deal off the bottom of the deck.
Trina Machacek lives in Eureka. Her book, “They Call Me Weener” is available on Amazon.com or email her at itybytrina@yahoo.com to find out how to get a signed copy

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