* This post could also be called "Not My Finest Moment"
You all know about Seeds of Compassion happening over the next five days, right? I've been figuring out how to hand-deliver 1000 ParentMap Magazines to a booth at the resource fair on Saturday. I've been talking to volunteer leads about my volunteering responsibilities at events on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. I even set up a sleepover at a friend's house who lives in Fremont so that on Monday after volunteering and then going to work at the Siegel lecture I can avoid the half hour drive home and instead sleep downtown before heading to the Seeds events at UW bright and early on Tuesday. I sound pretty darn compassionate, don't you think?
Foh shoh.
Til today.
Last week Monday (we're talking 10 days ago) I brought my two most favorite pairs of shoes
--so favorite that I have one in black, one in brown--to the Shoe Cobbler at Southcenter to get fixed.
I never bring shoes in to get fixed because usually I buy really cheap shoes and there's never any point in fixing them once they need fixin. But these shoes are great and apart from some loose (and very pricey, it seems) elastic in the straps they are in perfect shape.
So I paid the $71 (OUCH) to have them fixed and was told to come back on Friday to pick them up. A whole five days without either pair of my favorite shoes! Sigh. Friday arrived and off I went to pick them up. Only to find a computer-generated note taped to the door "The shop is closed today. If you have questions please contact the mall information at such and such phone number." I was bummed but figured a family emergency had come up so whatever.
On Monday I made a special trip (okay, so it's only 10 minutes from my house, but still! Gas is expensive!!) back and that sign was still on the door. Now I was more irritated but went about my business.
Today I went back a third time and this time I was really annoyed when I saw the darn sign. I had my 8 year old daughter jump out of the van to copy down the phone number and I dialed immediately.
I shared my incredibly heartbreaking story about the shoes I missed so much with the girl who answered the phone. After listening to me share my tale of woe she said "The shop has been closed because the owner died."
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!! I felt like a total heel (yes, pun intended). She went on to tell me that the only relative they'd been able to track down was his sister and she'd be there on Saturday at 11am handing out shoes.
Well, that just irritated me more because I can't go there on Saturday at 11am! I'll be at Seeds of COMPASSION for goodness sakes.
All kidding aside, I feel awful for his family, wherever they might be. And while I certainly hope I get my shoes back, it was a good reminder that there are much more important things in life than great shoes. Like life itself!
p.s. yes, I know my socks don't match in the photo. But that's a blog post I'm saving for another day.
