Another Shoe Story

Sometimes you just have to accept a kindness in the way it is offered and not get all wrapped up in embarrassment, pride, or indignation .
Last night I worked alongside another Filipino nurse who is my age and who is  a widower with two university age children. He noticed my old , field and poultry battered old trainers stinking in a corner of the changing room and made a joke that he almost threw them in the bin.
They and the fact that I often wear my welling tons to work, have become , somewhat of a running joke at the hospital !
I explained that my old shoes often get a real battering during their everyday life, and without a word more, last night,  he presented me with several three pairs of shoes. Robust walking boots and clean and worn once pairs of trainers.
Apparently my colleague was a bit of a shoe collector
" I thought they may be useful for your field work" he explained, without a hint of an edge and I suddenly had the choice to take his offer as a slightly patronising charity act to a "poor" yokel or as an ordinary and thoughtful act of kindness.
I choice the latter.......
After the wedding , I will take in a load of eggs for him and his family.
Like I said , sometimes, a gift should just be accepted and not questioned
( hummm perhaps I should have accepted those plastic antlers with a bit more alacrity )


64 comments:

  1. Never look a gift-shoe in the mouth!

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    1. I am just sure that they ( the staff) were sick to f those crocs

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  2. And to Tom, who was banging on yet again that I haven't answered many comments in the previous posts
    Apologies
    It's all night shifts and day sleeps at the moment x

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    1. Can't be this Tom, I hardly ever get to bang anything nowadays...

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    2. Hits cymbals with drum sticks
      ,

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  3. So whom, really, performed the ordinary and thoughtful act of kindness John...

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  4. That was really nice of him. we need more people who are just nice and kind. I bet he will see the difference between you eggs and the supermarkets that is for sure

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  5. What a lovely generous act of kindness! Anyway, I have been without internet for a week ( ahhhhh ). The Walking Dead! Fantastic this week, just how it really would be, lets have a few more episodes exploring the day to day grind of what it would really be like - not all these fast and furious storylines that don't even have time to develop. But - who is Aaron in the immaculate clothing????

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    1. I know who Aaron is! And he's on my bus!
      Can't wait to see it tonight!

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  6. How lovely - of both of you. Kindness can be such a rare gift it should always be encouraged.

    Now John, shoes for the wedding? Are you going all Steve Martin in 'Father of the Bride' with customised wellies?

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    1. Brand new black classy shoes have been bought!
      They look magnificent !

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  7. that was very thoughtful of him and I am sure he will be as equally pleased with your gifts of eggs.

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  8. You are a class act.

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  9. I am sure you chose the right option here John. That Ukranian village means a lot of wear and tear on your footwear, so graceful acceptance was called for.

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  10. Both the giving AND receiving of gifts is an art and one that needs learning by so many people.

    If you graciously accept a gift it gives joy to the person giving it to you, and as that feeling is exactly what they wanted to give you, joy in the gift, to give that feeling back by accepting it graciously is a gift in itself.

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  11. Kindness does work well both ways.
    Are the shoes in your size by the way? xx
    Have a good sleep post night shifts.

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    1. They do! And not much sleep has been had.... Me and the dogs went to bed for an hour this afternoon.....

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  12. Anonymous12:43 pm

    He probably saw a chance to reduce the load in his house whilst making someone else happy. I think you chose the right option.

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  13. Anonymous1:15 pm

    Did they fit?

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    1. Very good question. I sincerely hope they do.
      My shoes get smaller by the day. They always fit in the shop and next day when I squeeze into them and they are too tight. It's a mystery.

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    2. They do! They bloody do!

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    3. should always buy your shoes in the afternoon. your feet swell through the day.

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  14. Wow, what a lovely thoughtful gift. I'd have been delighted with the walking boots in particular. Mine wear out so quickly. Someone gave me a secondhand pair but they were too big. We're always passing on clothes and other items to each other in our village. I often find fruit, veg or eggs or a dvd I want to watch on the doorstep or hanging on the back door handle.

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    1. Exactly the same here.. No DVDs but often lots of scones

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  15. You're an angel. They may be useful and you made him happy.

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  16. You have such a clever and a sensitive way of looking upon events and you know how to tell the story, it is a good thing that you tooke the present,

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  17. That's actually really nice! Assuming they fit you. If they don't, it's an act of torture. :)

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    1. Steve they do git....I now remember that Boyett asked me what my shoe size last week

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  18. I would have smiled and said Thank You. What a nice man.

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  19. A lovely gift...and when you're used to being kind to everyone else it can come as a shock when someone is kind to you!

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  20. Kindness - sometimes overlooked and under rated...but so very important..x

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    1. Too true Libby......thank YOU again for your gift xxx

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  21. How kind of him! I'm sure the gift was only motivated by his regard for you. If he has loads of unused shoes at home, it's natural for him to think of giving them away if he's looking for a way to be nice to someone. And it sounds like they will get plenty of use with you, which is certainly better than them sitting around collecting dust!

    Being able to graciously accept a gift or a compliment is an art. I'm glad you chose to look at it the way you did. You're such a kind, giving soul, John, that it's good to know that occasionally someone notices and does something nice for you!

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    1. I do wish I hadn't lost my sense of humour over those bloody antlers now!

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  22. awwwwww, nice post today.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. Apologies for the bad writing...I'm tired today

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  23. That was sweet of your colleague. The eggs will be a lovely thank you.

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  24. Were the shoes filled up with scotch eggs?

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  25. What a thoughtful thing for him to do. Keep one pair just for wearing to work!

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  26. They call trainers 'runners' here in Ireland. Your colleague sounds like a very nice chap. Don't surgeons wear white wellingtons?

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  27. Now you all set for another few years of wear and tear, John!
    What a wonderful gesture.

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  28. I love acts of kindness like that... and that you accepted them in the spirit in which they were offered says a lot about you John, good man that you are. In my village ( we don't really have villages here in NZ - but I live in a small country town which is a bit remote from others) if I want to get rid of something I no longer have a use for but is too good for the rubbish I have a couple of options, take it to the charity shop or (as I have a tendency to be too bloody lazy to do that) I put a big FREE STUFF sign on my fence and put the said item outside on the berm. Usually it's gone before I do a check. I get rid of stuff and other get stuff they want/need ....brilliant!

    Jo in Auckland, NZ

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  29. Random acts of kindness make the world go round. You are a lovely man (that isn't a random act of kindness, just the truth).
    Twiggy

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  30. I'm glad that you did that John. When our old and much loved neighbour lost his wife, one day when we went to see him, he gave me all her shoes. Apparently she loved shoes and he couldn't bear to dump them in the recycle box or even to send them to a charity shop. I took it as such a compliment.

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  31. Glad you were given the welcome footwear, John, but . . . . please don't put shoes on the table!! It's soooo unlucky. Aaaarrggghhhh!!!

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    1. My family are really superstitious about this too but I thought it only applied to new shoes?

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    2. My family are really superstitious about this too but I thought it only applied to new shoes?

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  32. Sometimes a gift is just a gift.

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  33. I think it was just a nice, thoughtful thing for him to do. Great shoes!!

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  34. Shoes on the table? My Mom who would have been 100 this year would have loved you but she would have been appalled at the SHOES on the TABLE and she was an RN. Old school with dresses , white hose, proper shoes ad her nursing cap. Bad luck I have also heard but its the germs you get bad luck form. Heck I am a huge carity shop shopper and I'd wear them if they fit. Ruth from Oxnard CA.

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  35. I love hand me overs as I call them! Those look to be some nice hand me overs to me!! Yep take the nice man some eggs! I am sure they were meant as a kind gesture and nothing more :O)... How nice :O)

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  36. PS I particularly like that black ankle pair in the back. :O) I would take him extra eggs for those :O)...

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  37. It was intended to be a kindness. He does not look down on you. No one does.

    Love,
    Janie

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  38. I was given shoes by a colleague last week. It's catching! Actually my colleague had new 4 inch heels that turned out were too small for her. She offered them to me for my 20 yr old daughter. I certainly accepted them as a gift:)

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  39. Very kind action - and graciously received. But NEVER put shoes on the table. Think about where they have been and what they may have stood on/in.

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  40. I guess the shoe's on the other foot, now! (Did someone already say that? Couldn't resist...)

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