“When I was a boy I’d skip school to sell roses on the street....

“When I was a boy I’d skip school to sell roses on the street.  My parents gave up trying to educate me.  They said: ‘He’s lost his mind over the roses.’  I wanted to be around flowers all the time.  I sold so many that I opened my own kiosk across from a famous country club.  But I could never sell on Fridays.  The police would close our entire street so the governor could visit the club.  But once I ignored their instructions.  It was the day before Mother’s Day.  My biggest day of the year.  So I took a chance and remained open.  When the police found out, they confiscated all my flowers.  They even took my license.  It was a fatal blow.  All my money was in those flowers.  I had piles of them.  So I had to start from zero.  I’m a street vendor again.  For awhile I was ashamed, but I’m fine with it now.  It’s better than working for someone.  I buy the roses I want, and sell them to whoever I want.  Maybe I’ll have a shop again.  But as long as I’m around my roses, I’ll always feel peaceful.”  
(Cairo, Egypt)