Hawkers

When I was small, there were lots of hawkers everywhere. They were on the sidewalk, outside shops and cinemas—anywhere you can think of—ordinary people like you and me, trying to make an honest living by selling stuff. Some sold food and snacks. Others sold small items like ropes, string, combs, hairpins, and so on. Anything you needed, you could find in some hawker’s basket. Yes, in the past, they mostly carried baskets.

Some of the hawkers were regulated; others were not. Those who were regulated had to obtain a license from the government. They occupied regular spots, where more defined spaces were available for them to show their products. Those without a license had to move here and there to avoid policemen and government workers of the Urban Council, which issued licenses for hawking.

As the city progresses, hawkers are disappearing. Fewer and fewer people are hawking—selling—things as a way to make a living. In previous posts, I have shown pictures of older people selling things on the street. They are occasional hawkers. Some have a particular spot where they sell their things each day. Others move about, choosing a spot as they see fit. They sell small things like safety pins, locks, buttons, shoelaces, and so on.

I don’t see many young people working as hawkers. For those who have been through hard times in life, it is never shameful to make a living by selling things of little significance. Young people prefer to work at McDonalds or KFC, which, to me, is no less important or significant than hawking on the streets. The two jobs serve the same purpose.

One virtue of aging is that we come to learn that “face” is not really so important. Having said that, I recall that there are some young people who are occasional hawkers. They sell CDs, fake handbags, counterfeit watches, etc. So I really shouldn’t pass a hasty judgment with regard to young people no longer hawking. It is only the nature of the goods sold that is different.

As a city develops, it becomes more and more regulated in all walks of life. Regrettably, when times are hard, it becomes more difficult to make an honest living out of selling stuff on the streets.

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.