Thursday, December 15, 2005

Mundane Miracle

Yesterday, when I was touring the various "temporary solutions" for the Disengagement victims, I suddenly noticed that my left sandal was being held together by only a thread. Yes, literally, the stitches on the outside had totally unraveled, except for one. We were towards the end of our first stop, the Paradise Hotel in Beersheva.

Honestly, if we had just arrived, I would have gone searching for a shoemaker to repair it. But we were about to leave, so I kept my silence, just wondering how long the sandal would stay together. I had had those sandals repaired, re-sewn, already this past summer. They were very comfortable ones, and I had walked and hiked many, many kilometers in them. The big question: would it stay on my feet until I got home?

They were so comfortable, and periodically, I'd check to see the condition. Somehow, by the end of the day there was no change. The stitch stayed secure even as I returned home. Then I took off my old trusty sandals and thanked them as I sent them to the garbage instead of having them repaired again.

It seemed all so ironic on a day when I heard of how people are coping without their possessions. Was I wrong to throw out a trusty old sandal?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sometimes you have to learn to "let go".

Holding on to a used pair of sandals won't help anyone else.

wendy said...

Cute story! I'm glad your sandal held on for you. It would have been miserable to have a flapping shoe.