A true story.
Little John is just one of many that I chose to meet, talk to and get to know. John is not a young boy. He was about thirty-five, six-three and well over two hundred pounds when we met. He must be in his mid-forties now.
Today I am writing about feet. The ones exposed to forty and fifty degree weather even in the rain.
Stepping in to help and knowing when to step out of the way.
It broke my heart to see his open-bottom shoes.
It is one thing to stand and talk to the man face to face or take him to the grocery store. It is another to see his feet popping out the sides of his shoes. I would have given him a pair of my shoes, but Little John is a couple sizes bigger than any shoes I have. I am not sure if he has ever had new shoes but I know there is a good size shoe store only five blocks from the park, right near the train station.
That day I handed John five hundred and told him to get himself some shoes. I also told him where and that they would be expecting him. After leaving, I stopped at the shoe store to tell them that a large lumberjack of a man with many layers would be stopping in. I had purchased many pairs of shoes for my children at the same store. They know me and would be kind to John.
The following week I went to see him and he had his new brand name sneakers. I don't believe he could dance, but he was making some moves. I inquired about his ID and asked if he had talked to his son. He had the ID in process but the topic of his long lost son had him stuttering and looking downward. I did not push, but offered to take him to a place and pay for the call.
When I left him, I pulled out a couple hundred to hand to him, as usual the money came from my back pocket. To my surprise, he held the money as if it were a book, about stomach level, and his thank you was not as jovial as it had always been. I left him that day, hoping that he would recall some of our previous conversations on business and money. I found myself wondering how he had been able to survive before we had met.
In coming weeks I had taken him to the grocery store again and he was a bit more veracious in filling the cart, which did not bother me. I asked him to make sure he had some extra things to share or trade with others. Smiles and a Thank you were abundant on grocery days, but the other Fridays were starting to seem more like a transaction, even a hint of disappointment.
It seemed that my arrival was required. If I did not arrive early enough to chat, he was a bit annoyed and expressed a missed expectation of sorts in his own way. It came out in partial sentences with stuttered beginnings. I had not lowered the amount I was giving him, and I was still concerned about his well being. I had been talking to him about getting a place to live, but my questions about that met a shrug.
I know from experience that anyone of any class generally grows into a new, higher, salary or hourly wage. As it turns out, so did my friend. Before his new shoes were a month old, Little John had taken up smoking. I had seen him on his bench one rainy Friday as I passed him in a taxi. Despite the apparent degradation of our friendship, and his new found habit, I did not plan on giving up on him.
Find out how an ex-smoker deals John in part seven and here on Steemit.
Not @done yet. To be continued...
Isn't it strange how familiarity tends to create expectations- I've always wondered about how when someone initially helps another it is met with such enthusiasm and gratitude, but when that help becomes a regular thing it can lose some of the early magic. Though perhaps in Little John's case it might be worry of your expectations of him. I'm just musing- loving this journey my friend ;)
Hahaha, do not worry @done, we all have happened at some time, I will wait for the conclusion of the story.
However, I can not stop commenting that when I read I could only imagine the feeling of happiness that John must have experienced, with his new shoes, thank God I have always had my basic needs covered, so, I can not take it anymore, Try to imagine how difficult it must be.
Greetings, I look forward to the conclusion, happy evening.
As I told you before, although we do not know for sure why he has fallen into this situation, the majority of cases are family problems, disappointments and as in this case is showing "a vice against him" is perhaps a hardened alcoholic.
I never smelled any alcohol on John. He was never smoking either, until this point anyway.
That's important, however, how long have you known your friend John? Do you know anything about his past life, how he was with his family? ... it's good to get a little deeper into his past, even if it doesn't mark our destiny. Greetings friend @done
It is normal that he is showing new needs, remember that in the situation in which he lives he could not buy anything at all, so as you support them he will show you new needs. But their social work is still impeccable, we do not have control of their actions.
I am very happy that you bought him new shoes and necessary things for him, you are a person of good feelings. This fight story is getting more interesting and I am already looking forward to the next part of this great story.
Hello, @done. Today your story fills me with uncertainty. Little John is changing, he looks like a child, he seems to be re-living, it seems that he is already a teenager. I imagine, as you've taken the story, will commit an act of rebellion, I see today that he is happy with his new shoes and I see annoyance by the late Friday.
@done maybe "Smiles and a thank you" from the shopping days happened "to look more like a transaction" and maybe that gave you "an indication of disappointment". But is not this what happens to us once as parents? One day we are the sun and others are just one more star in the vast universe.
Today the story leaves me a taste of hopelessness: will it be that after the effort of @done small Jhon will be lost in that world again? This ray of light can not open a gap in the dark? Because it can not be? I stop to think and I tell myself, but when is life what we want it to be: just, balanced, consistent, without suffering?
I would like to know if in all this time you have seen improvement in their way of speaking, thinking and acting ... sometimes people in that situation recover quickly when they find a support like yours @done, is a micro biography of john.
Still it has a lot to cover in this story this just got me hooked to keep waiting for the next one great part of the story
@done you are the most generous and loving personality of steemit. Your contribution here is lot. Your stort writting skills are awesome. I am glad to see you posting a story serial regularly. I am a big fan of you and always trying to learn from you. Stay blessed. Tc
I also felt sorry after reading these lines and pictures of torn shoes.
Interesting development of story, we are all the same, human is very egoistic species and once we receive something we accept it as a gift initially and are so grateful but with the time that feeling becomes more routine like it should be. I know there is always exceptions among us but majority is the same.
I was glad that John received new shoes those one on your picture look like almost fallen apart. To this occasion I wanted to share my drawing with you with he same topic. Actually I love drawing and painting and that drawing I have done for drawing contest and was specially for Steemit and of course with my name on it.
good idea @done I like your story, you made a lot of people curious about your story, thank you for sharing the story with all of us, but many people are curious about the future ... what are you telling me,
interesting story, friend, but I am more curious about the next story that seems very interesting
thank you for sharing my best friend @done, I'm glad to see your story interesting. I like it, as if we are close to each other, surely we can share stories, together, I really want to share stories, and stories with you, but we are far , and it is not possible right, because we only know it through the air, but even though we know it through the air, but you can make my heart happy and happy, when I read the contents of your post, honestly I am very happy to be friends with friends I'm best @done, if possible we are, more familiar, are you using #instagram I want to chat privately with you @done
I am only on Steemit but I am playing with the idea of setting up a Signal account for chat.
I think you are using, what account can you chat with ...
good story, I really like this story, but I want to know what the next story, I like your idea @done
Thank you @done for a true story part six.
a very very touching story in my heart
Good job @done.
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@done I have reached your story by the comment of a friend and having read them all at once caused me great sadness. I have a daughter and I think about what led him to distance himself from him or her. What problems did the family have to face in order to distance themselves in this way? If you have a child, where is your wife? As far as you're concerned, Little Jhon is young, he must have his parents alive, where are they? I look forward to the next part and I hope everything goes well. I praise your mercy, your dedication, actions that are worth highlighting in a person.
This is great, there is no word but to fight and I think little John has to think about that. about life, friendship and love.
Your kindness towards little John continue , it really interesting, but one of the problem people who you help has is that, when something become regular, and perhaps there expectation were not met, they might likely felt bad, in the case of little John, perhaps alot of things striking through his mind, don't know really, but your spirit is good without thought of given up on him, when I first saw the pair of shoe, so sad he was moving around with that, but you did everything to change his life one step after the other, and we can see a positive progress in his story so far, but for him to go back to old life will not be a good idea, I hope your efforts and your gold heart will finally changed this man life completely to a new man..
Thanks for share..
Re-steemed.
Many people judge others by their shoes, depending on the culture, the new shoes he has may allow him to enter a store that he was previously banned from. I really want to give him the tools to succeed.
I agreed with you!! Many cultures even here will banned him with such shoe on his foot! You make him accepted where he was been banned before!! You are really kind towards this man! It is easy said than done! You are doing the practical expect which God urges us to do!
Sometimes ago, during service in our church, a man came in with dirty cloth and bad shoe's on his foot, everyone was running away from him, myself and one woman was the one waiting, this scene almost stop the service, its not really easy with odour very worse, but this man was so meant listing to what the Rev'd was saying, I was just Stay alart should he want to make a funny move so I could run as well hehehe, not long before he went outside and went his way!
I remember a man of God which I read about him (Joseph Ayo Babalola), he usually invited sick, mental illness, epileptic, seizures etc immediately they got healing from God, they give life to God.... I hope this man was still alive.
Some Churches nowadays, rejected people like this, I must commend your efforts and kindness towards little John.
God bless you!!!
Done, maybe John is needing a little more from your company, maybe he's already considering you as someone important to him, "a refuge" maybe. He already feels the anxiety of talking to someone and this leads him to calm her down with cigarettes.
I like your story, I know you are trying to help little John get decent shoes, but I still want to listen to the end of the story.
Like @done
Some ordinary people through life with many trials and their tears always flow every time
Hello @done Little John has been very fortunate to have friends like you, the one you gave him the money to buy his shoes is a beautiful gesture.
it was realy a great story @done you are too kind person for approaching Jhon..
Thumbs up 👍👍
In this part of the story stay in "pause" mode waiting now for the next delivery friend @done
waaaoooo I hope it does not come out expensive and that little John knows how to take advantage of the money. At least he already has shoes, but it's a bad thing that he started smoking. I'm still waiting for the next stop to know what happened to his new habit.
All people need to have decent shoes, it was a beautiful gesture that you gave Little Jhon money to buy some shoes. Greetings @done
Following your story ... is it inevitable for me to think, what will happen with litle jhon when you stop seeing it? Can he continue without you? people come and go. You give hope with your attitude, but he must start investing in he, starting by changing his thoughts and helping himself get new opportunities into his life by taking advantage of your help.
It seems that the little john after receiving your help has made him a more independent person but it is difficult to influence others and the way you want, because everyone is master of their lives and perhaps past habits can return to the surface, it's interesting how you get to John some ways to persuade are very effective. The story is very interesting, I am waiting for the development of this.
thank you for sharing my best friend @done, I'm happy to see your interesting story. I like it,
Until now I had not imagined Little Jhon's need for a pair of shoes in good condition. This part of the story, although it is very short, makes a lot of sense so that he can be reintegrated into society.
Whenever I find it more interesting, for many reasons, one of them is that Mr. John is a good person, even in the circumstances in which he is, that is, the money delivered and eaten by you. Mr. @Done, I did not waste it, the second is that for Mr. John it must be a great happiness to have new shoes and have you as a friend, so I imagine that for you it must also be very rewarding to help a person in that way and notice That the change is progressing. I'm waiting to see how the story ends.
Little John must have been getting stressed out lately in some things so maybe it is the reason for his new vice @done
interesting story, friend, but I am more curious about the next story that seems very interesting.
After months of silence, you post again. What happened since I stopped visiting the platform a while ago...
Wow, I can't say I wasn't expecting a turn like this but I am kinda in the edge to know what happens next, how does this relationship flows, I'm a bit scared to be honest, thanks for sharing once again!
I am already half done writing the next part so all of you are not waiting. I know the above was not a good place to leave it.
I'll be around when you post it :-)
@done is a shame that the relationship with friend John is deteriorating and he is not so happy to receive the money as before, let's know what he has in his head, many times when you are on the street are so beaten that you lose trust in everything, and when you receive a lot of generosity, you distrust, I say I'm thinking of you high.
I hope that the next episode everything is better in the relationship
I wish you a great day
it was just only and entro 😂😂 It's ok sir @done we are still waiting
Good opportunities often appear in life, but if we don't take advantage of them when they arise, there are only laments left. I hope that this story ended with a happy ending for our friend, maybe he was adapting to the comfort of receiving without having to strive for it and did not want that to change, but after everything you have done for our friend I'm sure that he did not give up because not only is doing a job in his economy but the most important is the one you have been doing in his mental state. Thank you for this delivery, as always very good wording. I look forward to the next one!
this story is indeed a story 3 ago but very interesting when it is understood.
Following the story closely. This time, Gina did not tell me what you published.
I see that with pleasure that you have not surrendered with "little" Jhon. In giving a shoe to a person on the street, it is a treasure. They walk a lot.
Personally, I have given my shoes and my children's shoes to people in need. It really is wonderful to see how a smile is drawn when you receive them.
The best thing is that when you give to others, you always receive other blessings. The universal law of sowing and harvesting is fulfilled. God always helps the needy. And it prospers whoever wants and always wants to give to others.
A big hug, friend. Blessings.
Esperamos un final feliz porque nos tiene pendiente de sus continuará. Ja ja ja.
Maybe it sounds bad, but the reality is that most cases of people in a street situation are linked to vices. I hope I'm not disappointed in the little Jhon and that the story ends in the best way, that your effort is worthwhile.
Espero por la continuación, una interesante historia. Gracias por compartirla
I don't want that to happen, I'm afraid of falling into poverty and I don't want that to happen to my life.
Nice your post mr. @done
If there is anything I can help I want to be among generous people
Thank you @done for posting
This is very well written.
Good job @done.
Hi, really an inspiring story. Nice post!
Wow @done
This has really got my attention to know that there are people in this world that has a kind heart such as you are displaying. I love this!
I'm impressed
Your perseverance in helping Little John will be more than rewarded. Your example can encourage more people to act kindly as you show @done