Daniel Lerner’s story about “the Grocer and the Chief” of Balgat was truly a story of modernity. He begins by retelling the account of Tosun B. who visited Balgat in 1950. A dim picture is painted of the grey desolate town, whose people all seem to conform to the same traditional perspective of the world and their lives. This is true except for one citizen of Balgat- the grocer- who seemed to be the only one who felt he hadn’t reached his life’s full potential. He knew that there was more to life than what he got from his small town in Belgat, and he realized that many of his neighbors didn’t have this realization. Lerner then transitions to tell his own account of Balgat 4 years later. It appeared as though the village had in many ways taken on the image painted by the grocer’s fantasies and dreams that had been described by Tosun. The village had electricity, new roads, a bus system, and many more things that were the true tell signs of modernization that it seemed none of the villagers had known were possible for their home in Balgat. And yet, from the accounts of the villagers after these changes occur, this modernization is clearly something that most if not all citizens view as positive. In many ways this contradicts what they had said to Tosun: many saying they wouldn’t change anything about their country if they were president, and had no desire to live anywhere but Balgat. Only the grocer seemed to realize and predict the potential that modernization brings.