The in-store time discount

THE IN-STORE TIME DISCOUNT"....

We would head to the Shop whenever we heard about the discount on the time spent there. Some relied on time, others on emotions and conversation, while others focused on the practical use—the tactile feel of the goods, and so on. The restriction applied to everyone, yet each person found their own "poles"—their own *pluses*—in it. This went on endlessly... until... One day, a boy named SIR walked into the shop...
"You know, when I walked into your shop, I completely forgot about the item Mom asked me to buy..." he said indignantly.
A shop assistant named Please hurried to help the child...
"You're running out of time! Think—what did Mom ask you to get?"
"Mom told me not to waste my time, but I always carry my watch with me," the boy declared with a smile, pointing to it, "and my cotton candy."
The assistant spent a long time trying to figure out what the boy was supposed to buy but couldn't find the answer in time; she simply walked the child out of the shop with a grateful smile. His parents weren't upset; on the contrary, they thanked the staff for the "lost-and-found" experience with their child.
Ever since then, the shop has served people based on time—and cotton candy—while guessing customers' wishes. As for the boy, he only visits when necessary... sometimes for a watch... And we, too, head to shops whenever we hear about the "In-Store Time Discount." Some rely on time, others on emotions and conversation, while others focus on practical use—the tactile feel of the goods, and so on. The restriction applied to everyone, except... Yet everyone managed to find their own "poles"—their own *pluses*—in it. This went on... until! Before the law comes into force... So that people make well-considered purchases—the kind they truly want—and salespeople don't have to change professions...

Asemgul Khamzina. Kazakhstan, Kokshetau. Summer 2025. Dedicated to the people of America. On saving time, thoughtful shopping, online orders, consumer desires, and the profession itself.