Sunday, August 4, 2013

The Pair of SHOES

I'VE  JUST  WATCHED  AN  EPISODE  OF  THE  OLD  TV  SERIES  "TOUCHED  BY  AN  ANGEL"  -  A  BOY  IN  ONE  OF  THE  CONCENTRATION  CAMPS  OF  NAZI  GERMANY  LOOSES  ALL  HIS  FAMILY,  THE  LAST  HE  SEES  IS  HIS  FATHER,  TAKEN  AWAY....TO  THE  GAS  CHAMBER.

HIS  FATHER  WAS  A  SHOEMAKER,  HIS  SON  LOST  THE  PAIR  OF  BOOTS  HIS  FATHER  HAD  MADE  FOR  HIM .

THE  STORY  COMES  TO  THE  PRESENT  DAY  AND....WELL  THE  STORY  GOES  FROMN  THERE,  TO  RENEW  HIS  FAITH  IN  GOD  AND  TO  HELP  A  LITTLE  GIRL  WHO  LOOSES  HER  FATHER  IN  THE  DEATH  OF  SICKNESS.

THE  ANGELS  AT  THE  END,  WHEN  HE'S  BEEN  HELPED  TO  HEAL  AND  HELPS  THE  LITTLE  GIRL..... THEY  BRING  BACK  THE  BOOTS  HE  LOST  TO  HIM.

I  WELL  REMEMBER  THE  TIMES  AS  A  KID  GROWING  UP  HOW  I  LOVED  THE  TIMES  MY  PARENTS  TOOK  ME  FOR  NEW  SHOES.  I  THINK ALL  CHILDREN  LOVE  THOSE  TIMES.  NOT  MANY  OF  US  IN  THIS  MODERN  AGE  WANT  TO  HAVE  NO  SHOES.

GETTING  SHOES  IS  ONE  OF  THE  JOYS  OF  LIFE;  OFTEN  WE  TAKE  THEM  FOR  GRANTED,  WE  WHO  HAVE  NEVER  BEEN  IN  THE  SITUATION  OF  NOT  HAVING  SHOES  OR  WHEN  OUR  SHOES  ARE  SO  WORN  OUT.....THAT.....WELL,  NEW  ONES  WOULD  SURE  BE  NICE  TO  HAVE.

THE  SHOES [ACTUALLY  BOOTS]  IN  THIS  EPISODE  REMINDED  ME  OF  THE  BLESSING  I  HAD  AS  A  YOUNG  MAN  IN  MY  EARLY  20s  TO  LEARN  THE  TRADE  OF  BEING  AN  "ORTHOPEDIC  SHOEMAKER"  [ WAS  4  YEARS  AS  APPRENTICE]  -  LEARNED  AND  DID  EVERYTHING  FROM  A  TO  Z  ON  MAKING  SPECIAL  HAND-MADE  SHOES/BOOTS  FOR  PEOPLE/CHILDREN  WHO  NEEDED  SPECIAL  CUSTOM  SHOES,  AS  THEY  DID  NOT  HAVE  "NORMAL"  FEET.

I  LOOK  BACK,  I  THINK  ABOUT  THOSE  YEARS..... I  WAS  BLESSED  TO  HAVE  THE  PRIVILEGE  OF  SERVING  THOSE  SPECIAL  PEOPLE  WHO  NEEDED  SPECIAL  SHOES.  I  CAN  ONLY  IMAGINE,  WELL  NO,  I  DID  SEE THE  JOY  ON  THEIR  FACES  OF  GETTING  A  NEW  PAIR  OF  SHOES  THAT FIT  EXACTLY  THEIR  FEET.

ON  MY  FACEBOOK  [YOU  CAN  GET  THERE  FROM  FROM  MY  WEBSITE  -  keithhunt.com]  I  HAVE  PHOTOS  OF  SOME  OF  THE  SHOES  I  MADE.  THERE  ARE  VERY  FEW  OF  US  A  TO  Z  SHOEMAKERS  AROUND.  I'M  NO  LONGER  MAKING SHOES  BUT  I  SURE  AM  GRATEFUL  I  WAS  ABLE  TO  LEARN  THAT  TRADE  AND  HELP  SO  MANY.

I'VE  BEEN  VERY  BLESSED  IN  MANY  WAYS  IN  MY  LIFETIME,  AND  BEING  AN  ORTHOPEDIC  SHOEMAKER  WAS  ONE  OF  THOSE  BLESSINGS.
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