|
Author: Patricia Gatto Article source: http://www.workplacespirituality.info/. Used with author's permission.
At seventeen years old, I was a brat. A mixture of innocence, immaturity and righteousness. And I carried that attitude with me everywhere, including my trip to the shoemaker.
Now, to understand why something as simple as a trip to the shoemaker would stay with me all these years later, I have to explain. I came from the most loving and nurturing parents a child could ever want. Even back then, I knew I was blessed with a wonderful family, but this realization also made me a little arrogant. My fierce devotion to family could be blinding at times.
When my dad asked me to pick up his shoes from the shoemaker, I eagerly obliged. Although he rarely asked, I loved doing favors for him and this was an easy request. Or so I thought. This simple errand proved more daunting than I originally anticipated, but it also provided me with a valuable lesson in life.
On my first attempt to pick up the shoes, I was informed they weren't ready. "Please, come back," the shoemaker said. However, although he said "please", his response was curt.
As far as I was concerned, my dad never made mistakes, so I looked at the ticket and confirmed that I had the right date. "The ticket said they would be ready today," I responded in an indignant tone.
"Tomorrow," was all he said. Then he turned to his next customer. I'm sure he didn't need a teenager lecturing him about his business obligations.
Prone to the dramatics of my youth, I rolled my eyes and left in a huff, complaining about his lack of responsibility under my breath.
When I returned the next day, ready to forgive him for the inconvenience, I was informed the shoes were not ready. Oh, you would think tragedy struck my perfect little world. My daddy needs his shoes, I though. How could the shoemaker be so inconsiderate? I stormed out of the shop without a word, but my body language spoke volumes.
My third trip (in three days) yielded the same results, and now I was furious at the shoemaker. Who did he think he was? What kind of a business was he running?
Without thinking, I demanded the shoes back. He complied with my request, grabbed the shoes from a large pile on his workbench and shoved them into a bag. "Here you go, young lady," he said with a smirk.
I was fuming. I took the bag, bid him a sarcastic "thank you" and slammed the door on my way out.
When I got home, I explained everything to my dad. As usual, my dialog was animated. I clutched the bag, imitated the shoemaker and walked around the living room acting out my dramatic exit from the shop. Then I handed my dad the bag. He looked in it and smiled.
"Honey, I love you. I'm so happy that you care so much about my shoes, but what am I going to do with them now?"
That's when he pulled the shoes out. The heels were removed and the soles were cobbled out. They were useless, like a patient pulled out of surgery before the doctor finished the operation.
"Patience, honey," he said gently. "There is no point in working yourself up over something that you have no control over."
I tried to argue with his logic. I told him the shoemaker had a job to do and he didn't live up to his obligation. My dad smiled again.
"Honey, think about it. It's just a pair of shoes. I have others. Choose your battles wisely and always deliver them with respect. Tomorrow you will bring the shoes back to the shoemaker and apologize. Explain that you understand he is busy and I am certain you will get positive results."
That's how my dad conducts his life, with patience and respect, no matter what is handed to him. It's one of the many reasons I love him so much.
My father's response was not belittling or disrespectful. He reminded me that we can't always have what we want when we want it. He showed me that our responses to a difficult situation show our true character. Acceptance, forgiveness and understanding are key elements to a healthy outlook on life.
Even to this day, whenever I am in a difficult situation, I remind myself not to be a heel, and always show sole.
Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved About The Author
Patricia Gatto and John De Angelis are the authors of MILTON'S DILEMMA, the tale of a lonely boy's magical journey to friendship and self-acceptance. As advocates for literacy and children's rights, the authors speak at schools and community events to foster awareness and provide children with a safe and healthy learning environment. For more information, please visit Joyful Productions at http://www.joyfulproductions.com.
Publishing Guidelines: You are welcome to publish this article in its entirety, electronically, or in print fre.e of charge, as long as you include you include the full byline, hyperlinks and Resource Box.
E-mail or courtesy link appreciated when you publish mailto:Joyful-Productions@comcast.net
pgatto@ptd.net
Orange Perennials For Your Garden
Add some vibrant color and attrach hummingbirds and butterflies with these orange flowering perennials.
Women Behaviours at Your Impotence
The article is to aware women that impotency is a condition in which a mam wants your extreme support and love. Negative behaviour at this time can lead him to ...
Lingerie as Fashion Statement
We have come a long way baby! Your mother's mother would never have been seen with her underwear on the outside. A lot of today's lingerie is made to be seen ...
EMusic...50 Free Music Downloads
If you are looking for free music downloads eMusic lets you download free music online. This digital music download service has a variety of options for a music...
Developing Those Elusive Bright Eyes... With Vitamins and Minerals
Vision is one of our most precious senses. Without it the world as we know it would be blank. One of the things that we can do daily to protect our eyes from ha...
Detailing Business Options
So you want to get into the auto detailing business and are not sure what options are right for you? It is a difficult choice indeed and there are so many optio...
Greyhound Adoption – Great Dogs, Great Cause
reyhounds are an athletic, friendly, docile dog breed that make great pets. You're probably aware that greyhounds are normally raced at tracks for a few years,...
Wedding Budget - What Can You Do To Shave It, Yet Still Have A Memorable Wedding?
The Wedding Budget Monster can get out of hand so easily. Learn to focus on the key items that matter and you will save money AND have a wedding that everyone ...
Notify Them When Youre Moving
One of your first steps, when you're getting ready to move, is to pick up a stack of change-of-address cards from the post office. Yes, old-fashioned go-by-snai...
How To Drop Your Weight and Become Healthier Using These 7 Everyday Life Tips
In this article you'll find tips that will help you lose your extra pounds and become healthier and more energetic.
How to Choose a Network Marketing Winner
The idea of using a network-marketing program to generate extra income has taken North America by storm. More and more people are looking around, attempting to...
Living Life Loud
The music industry is changing - one click at a time.
Liposuction: Is It Right For You?
Liposuction is a term that is used very freely. Unfortunately, many do not realize the life savings that it can afford a person. If you are someone that may b...
7 Great Ways to Lose Your Shirt Using Google Adwords!
If you've ever thought about using Google adwords, or any other pay-per-click search engine, they can be a source of highly-targeted source of hungry customers....
7 Profit Producing Reasons Why Every Successful Service Professional Needs A Web Presence
Your business website is a critical aspect of being able to start and continue conversations with potential clients. It's the ultimate self-service window for p...
Medical Billing Software Takes the Stage
The practice is running smoothly, with patients coming in and out with smiles on their faces because of the great service your practice is providing. At the end...
10 Easy Maintenance Tips vs Piling on the Chaos
Whether you are in your own business or an employee (or neither) -- if you have a family and a home you are in the business of having a life.
Building A Home? Want To Ask A Builder The Right Questions - Not The Dumb Ones!
Have You Ever Met Someone In Your Business And In Ten Seconds You Know They Don't Know What They Are Talking About - sure you have.
Web Site Marketing: 10 Volcanic Ways To Erupt Your Website Sales
Do you want to pump up sales at your website?
Does Size Matter?
Bigger is better. Isn't that the American dream? Why buy a road-hogging, critter-squishing, bumper-defying, wall-of-metal SUV when you have the delicious opt...
Reciprocal Link Exchange Management Software
Reciprocal link exchange management software that makes
it easy to find and contact quality link partners, generate
custom link pages that match your site, and ...
What Does It Take to Make Money Online?
What a loaded question! Let's narrow that down a bit and take it from the perspective of someone who wants to work from home and make money online in a home bus...
10 Clues of an Online Affair
This article includes ten great tips on finding out if your spouse is cheating online. Let's look at typical indicators I've personally discovered while investi...
Beating Dry Skin and Dandruff the Natural Way
Are you tired of flaky dry skin? Have you tried every product available? Beating Dry Skin and Dandruff the Natural Way will tell you how to use diet and natura...
|
Print this page