“In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield.”
– Warren Buffett
On the Instawalk on Saturday we stopped to say hello to an elderly man sitting on a chair in the doorway of his small shop. At ninety-one Sr. José Bata (Zé) is the oldest merchant in the S. Vitor District of Porto.
He came from a small village when he was ten to work at his uncles shop. In 1949 he took over the business and renamed it Casa S. José. He became everything to his neighbors; the bank, a father, uncle, Godfather, mailman, and advisor.
“I fell down a few weeks ago and now I’m not as good at walking as I was in the past,” said Zé. “But I can tell you one thing. There’s always someone in life worse off than ourselves. The shop is all I have, and I am all the shop has too.”
Inside, the shop was a place where time stood still. Cobwebs covered the store sign hung high on the ceiling. Handwritten signs said: Because the money has stopped there is no more credit. The shop once sold groceries and small household goods but now the shelves were empty, or held products years beyond their expiration date. The counters were cluttered with the detritus of a long ago past.
Zé has no wife or children but he is the “father” of three children from the neighborhood. He gives them everything a father should give. One of them takes care of his finances because Zé is the landlord of more than 100 places. Half the buildings on the street belong to him.
He just regrets he created an empire for nothing. He has nephews, but only his neighbors care about him. He sits outside his shop every day because he wants to see people. And people love to see him!
Thanks to Ana @tanatofobica and Joaquim @pimenta_aos_pedacos for helping me put this story together since I don’t speak Portuguese.
