This is going to be long…read more...
I'm not quite sure what brought me to Sunshine Corners. I would almost call it serendipity, but I was certainly searching for something, I just didn't know exactly what. I had a day off and had spent the earlier part of it wandering, looking for any remaining independent produce stands, butcher shops, or just something that felt like it would nourish and heal me because I had been feeling....well? physically, emotionally, existentially, and psychologically, like absolute crap.
Historically I've spent years independently studying nutrition and biochemistry, herbalism and traditional medicine, but over the years I'd strayed from those things and lost my way. All this to say I may have forgotten some things but I recognize when someone else knows their stuff.
I wandered into Sunshine Corners, originally for a good sandwich and maybe some produce. What immediately struck me was how comforting this place was, and how much it felt like the old school apothecaries or coop's before they became adulterated by mainstream capitalist influences.
Stay with me here.
I overheard Tony talking to one of the people at the front desk and immediately realized "ok, that guy knows his stuff".
Meekly, when he had a moment, I walked over to him and basically, in a sort of desperate manner, laid out my litany of aches and pains and mysterious ailments, expecting an abrupt hand waving answer. That is not what I got.
Tony spent what might have been somewhere between 45 minutes and an hour with me, patiently asking me questions and pulling out reference literature. He recognized things in me that no one else had been able to see, and pointed me in a direction that has allowed me to focus on actually getting better rather than just collapsing in frustration.
Tony, if you're reading this, the time you spent helping me meant so much to me. Your years of wisdom made a huge impact, but more importantly, your humanity.