More than $10 Shoes

The other week I heard about a kid's shoe sale in Maplewood, NJ- close to our home. The store, Tic-Tac-Toe, carrying high-quality children's shoes which usually sell for at least $40 each, was selling their old stock for $10 a pair. I decided to check it out, knowing that my 3 kids need shoes and sandals for the upcoming spring and summer.

I got there early, just as they were opening, expecting the hoards to arrive. The owner, a lovely man, took his time helping me find what I needed, going through the piles of boxes under this year's styles. He picked out what he thought seemed the best and greatest deals. Shortly, more and more folks arrived with kids in tow. He greeted them, but did not abandon me to deal with all these other customers. He even went in the back to find more shoes for me.

I asked him what inspired him to have this sale- especially since it had gone on for at least a week before I made the pilgrimage. He said that he wanted to give back to the community and that he wanted people to come out and see eachother and talk. He felt his duty to stimulate the economy.

I was impressed by his generosity, his courage, and his care. It is another sign of what the possibilities are in this time in our economy. We can focus on what we are losing or what we are gaining. We can focus on all the problems or what creative solutions we can imagine. We can panic and hoard our stuff or we can give more to others and in that generosity realize how much we have to give.

When we are focused on winning and losing, we are in our head. We are limited in our sight. We are not seeing the infinite possibilities. When we are not concerned with what we win or lose, we are heart-centered. We are seeing more and more of what is possible. We are expansive. We are who we are meant to be.

So, I thank this man from Tic-Tac-Toe. I thank him for reminding me why I'm here, why we are all here. Not for the bottom-line and acquiring the large pile, but to feel the joy of ourselves and others, perhaps in the face of child with pink, sparkly sandals.

Which way have you been viewing this time in history? With dread and moments of panic or with inspired ideas of opportunity and hope? Are you hoarding or giving? Are you feeling grateful or are you complaining? What story do you want to tell yourself and others about what's going on? Leave a comment, if you'd like...