| |
| |
|
Faith411.com - Inspirational |
|
|
|
Vital information and articles related to inspiration.The Shoemaker and the Brat
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
MORE RESOURCES:
Inspirational - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
An Unquenched Thirst Direct Answers - Column for the week of September 9, 2002I'm engaged to a wonderful, warm and loving man whom I've been with for four years. We have always had mismatched libido. Life Lessons I Learned from My Cat Even if you are not a cat person, bear with me, as this story goes far beyond cat mania. Our little tabby cat was frightened and highly-sensitive from the day we rescued her from the SPCA, two and a half years ago. You Can Quickly And Easily Solve Your Problems Today I just wanted to write you a quick note to encourage you. Why? Because even as you are doing your best to be motivated there will be days when it all seems too much. How to Put the Sizzle Back in Your Relationship with These Seven Goal Setting Tools Goal Setting and Relationships?That is not as weird as it may sound. Consider the following definition of a goal: "A goal is a future incidence or event that is consciously worked towards. Life Goes On Boy, do I feel old. Or at least older. Case Closed Direct Answers - Column for the week of October 27, 2003I met my boyfriend on an online dating service four months ago. About a month ago I went to the dating service website to take my profile off. Two Choices That can Make Next Year The Best Year of Your Life What if there were just two choices you could make to insure that next year would be wonderful? There actually are, and these choices are quite simple in concept, yet not easy to do. They are not things you do on the outside, such as exercising your body (which is always a good thing to do!) but ways of thinking and being on the inside. I Dont Like This You always do this wrong, how many times would I have to tell as to how to do the thing right, don't you understand to what I say, I am talking to you, are you listening to what I am saying. It would have been much better if I would have done that myself. Escape into Reality and Find Love The early months of this year brought major challenges, as well as blessings, for many folks. They certainly brought many unique challenges and blessings for me. The Day I First Believed I was eight years old, over four decades ago and I remember this event as though it was yesterday. It was a beautiful but cold and blistering winter day in the city of Detroit. Being Relatable in Todays World as a Christian There are reasons we cross paths with those that we do. Sometimes its SO obvious, because we have walked a mile or two in what that person is going thru. The Amazing Destructive Power of Tradition After more than thirty years of studying the Bible I can say with full assurance that Jesus Christ never contradicted himself. There is one instance where it would seem that he did but after careful examination I found that rather than a contradiction it ends up being more of an enigma. About Self Love 1. How do I love myself?2. Life Is Worthwhile If You (Excerpted from the Jim Rohn Two Day Weekend event - June 22 and 23, 2001)1) First, life is worthwhile if you LEARN.What you don't know WILL hurt you. I Believe in You! Ally Becker came home from school after Varsity basketball practice and was extremely gleeful. She looked frantically for her Father and walked into the kitchen, the laundry room and finally the living room. Change Your Landscape by Seeing with New Eyes A Story (Source Unknown) - One day a very wealthy father took his son on a trip to the country for the sole purpose of showing his son how it was to be poor. They spent a few days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. A Rush Home to Rapture Riding a rush, being juiced, flying high-this is the feeling we strive for every day.What's the huge attraction to this heightened state? Many medical authorities would have us believe that the desire for a constant high is an addiction-and an unhealthy and unrealistic one at that. A Path To Peace The root of discord and violence between people and nations comes from our tendency to forget our humanity. We "forget" our true nature. Your Inner Wisdom -- Crouching Ego, Hidden Guru Wouldn't it be nice if you had a spiritual counselor that traveled everywhere with you, answering all your questions and guiding you down the perfect path? Well, you do! Take a look in the mirror--it's you!Within each of us is our wise higher self, the part of us that connects our human self to our God self. God is everywhere, even in you, but sometimes the connection is forgotten. Head First I stepped up to the edge and looked down. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath.
|
|
Inspirational Articles Home Page | Inspirational Articles Site Map | News | Faith411.com Home Page EZmatic.com | IgoJo | UpBee | Blue Ryder | Health | ZippyGo | Ken J Wagner Faith411.com - all Vital information and articles related to Inspirational. |
| © 2006 |
