My mother sews a lot and with great proficiency. She can make almost anything, and she enjoys making it. One day she went into a store in Belgrade to buy the right kind of buttons for a dress she was sewing for my aunt. There were three young women behind the counter. They were talking very intimately to each other, and paid no attention to my mother. She stood there for a couple of minutes, hoping that she would be noticed sooner or later. When her hope gradually vanished, she addressed the salesgirls patiently and politely, as she always does to the utter amazement of anyone who happens to be present: “I am sorry, but would you please help me?” One of the three young women turned toward her abruptly and blurted out a single sentence: “Don’t you see that we’re talking?” Soon afterwards my mother left the store, as it became obvious that there was no point in waiting any longer. What I admire about my mother is her ability to sympathize with the three unfortunate women: “Under capitalism they would be polite all right, but imagine how fearful they would be about losing their jobs?” Perhaps she is right, but I certainly envy her regardless of the objective facts.