This is why I love my job so much ... the joy of the unexpected!
Would you believe that tying shoe laces
is a perk of my job?
No?
Unbelievable?
Sounds crazy?
Well, there is more to it than meets the eye ...
and more to it than the pressure I am under to untangle ratty old laces or the desperation I feel in trying to keep them tied up!
Let's consider the customers ...
Miss M is a regular; I know her shoes as well as I know my own.
They have long white laces, full of permanent tight knots along their length, and are way too small for her feet.
Her and I often discuss how she is feeling, usually in reference
to the group of girls she hangs out with these days ...
and because she seeks me out more than once a day
I am able to pass on advice regarding her choices of behaviour
and/or how she may choose to react to the actions of her 'friends'.
Master D is another regular customer; although he's gone through a few pairs of shoes in the last six months.
We've been through the shoes with nylon laces, which required you to tie them every five minutes and in the process devise new types of knots (that don't work)!
We've been through the shoes without laces too, which still required your assistance as they were too tight to put back on!
He and I talk about motorbikes, the weekend to come, his hair styles, but most importantly we are establishing a trust whereby he knows I will be there whenever he needs me.
Of course, there are many more wonderful kids like
Masters T, Ky and W as well as Miss A
who regularly take advantage of the shoe tying service I provide ...
All I can say, is that it is a privilege to tie their shoe laces and, above all, converse with them.
As I said, tying shoelaces is a perk of my job!
