The Passion of the Shoelace Maker

Let's see if I remember how this works...ah yes; I bare my soul - you comment.
How's about a quick catch up on what's current and a simple segue to the rest of this blog...OK?

Biggest recent change: I no longer lead worship for Mission Gathering Christian Church.

On that note and possibly related you might recall a post from a few months back where I left you all with a bitter taste in your mouths because I wouldn't/couldn't divulge what it was that was making me so upset, despondent, cranky and just pissy in general...well, prepare to be either disappointed again or entertained by a simple story...So, sit back and let me tell you a tale.

***Names, places, persons and hobbies have been changed to protect the innocent***

Once upon a time in the richest city in the world there lived a simple man with a great talent, his name was Becks and he was the greatest maker of quality shoelaces in the region.

Although Becks was the best at what he did; he never let the praise of his customers go to his head and he never put a price on his shoelaces that he believed was more than they were worth...in that way Becks could allow his passion for his work to speak for itself.

Becks had many customers that sought his quality shoelaces but humble as he was; he had never believed that he could make his passion for perfect shoelaces his livelihood...until one fine summer afternoon...

On that particular afternoon a local shoedesigner named Lil' Rick asked Becks to join him in the design and crafting of the greatest and most authentic shoe that could ever be.

Lil' Rick told Becks a tale of his master plan to design a shoe that would be totally new, like nothing that had ever been, comfortable but not confining, light but not lacking in quality and finally; this shoe was to be the only shoe that anyone would ever need for the rest of their lives.

When Becks did not immediately jump in excitement at Lil' Rick's plan, Lil' Rick began to tell Becks that he would soon be able to design shoelaces for his living rather than his hobby...Of course, this was Becks' dream!

Still, Becks was reluctant to join Lil' Rick in his grand scheme because Becks had tried before to design a better shoe with many different shoedesigners who'd all had great ideas of how to design the very best shoe. And though these shoe design experiences had jaded Becks; he was not one to ever give up on a good thing.

And so he agreed to join Lil' Rick.

Though Becks and Lil' Rick started out with poor materials and did not have many people that were anxious to try their newly designed shoe; they did not give up and Becks put his heart into his shoelaces more than ever.

Over time, Becks began to notice that Lil' Rick was not fulfilling his part of their originally agreed upon plan...though Becks' shoelaces were as full of quality as ever, the shoes that Lil' Rick was designing seemed to be designed to compete with Becks' shoelaces rather than to complement them and thus each other.

Becks began to wonder if Lil' Rick had ever really intended to co-design a shoe with him in the first place; or whether Lil' Rick was using Becks for his quality shoelaces just to keep Lil' Rick's shoes from falling off of the feet of the people that tried them on.

Every few months Lil' Rick seemed to pull Becks aside and encourage him to keep making his very best shoelaces because his dream of making shoelaces for a living was just around the corner; but only if Becks kept doing his very best.

Becks began to feel that Lil' Rick did not care at all about Becks passion and his gifts of creating shoelaces, and as time went on and Lil' Rick made empty promise after empty promise; Becks began to doubt that his passion was being used by Lil' Rick for the right shoes - or for the right customers.

Years passed...

There came a time in the great city when Lil' Rick became very popular among a few powerful people, these few people believed that Lil' Rick had in fact created the very best shoe that could ever be. Lil' Rick was thrilled to have his talent recognized and sought to further his area of sales and advertisement for his shoe design.

However great the amount of praise that Lil' Rick received for his shoe design; Lil' Rick did not share his praise, popularity or profit with Becks, even though Becks had helped to create the shoe that had become so beloved, even though Becks very own shoelaces were the very instruments that kept Lil' Rick's shoes from falling off of the feet of those that tried them on.

Becks began to ask himself: "How can a shoe be a shoe without shoe laces?"

Months passed...

Came a time when Lil' Rick told Becks: "I'm going to change the color of my perfect shoes and I will also add some pretty designs that will draw even more people to desire my shoes."
Becks thought this idea was fine and he said so: "That sounds fine, I'm sure the people will like these new ideas."

But then Lil' Rick told Becks to do the strangest thing...Lil' Rick said: "If you want to continue to make shoes with me you will have to change your shoelaces to the way I want them."

This was not something that Becks could understand and he thought to himself 'Why would Lil' Rick want to change my shoelaces? They are perfect the way they are exactly the way I make them...They complement Lil' Rick's shoes in every way and they keep his shoes from falling off of the people's feet!'

Becks was hurt by Lil' Rick's new ideas and he said so: "I don't understand, Lil' Rick, why would you want to change something that is just the way that it should be?"...Becks continued, hurt and confused..."If my shoelaces are fulfilling their purpose in every way and every customer that has ever used them has been more than happy; why would it ever be necessary to change them?"

Lil' Rick spoke softly and sweetly to Becks and told him that if he ever wanted to make shoelaces for a living he would have to do things the way that Lil' Rick wanted them.

Becks did not believe that this was any way to make authentic shoes.

At the end of the day Becks decided that his just-right shoelaces were no longer enough to please Lil' Rick and though all of those that bought Lil' Rick's shoes in the future may feel that something was missing; Becks felt that if his just-right shoelaces couldn't be seen for what they were than he would have to take his shoelaces elsewhere.

Today Becks makes his shoelaces for the people he loves, at home as a hobby.

Lil' Rick now uses velcro to keep his shoes from falling off of peoples feet.

And Becks lived happily ever after.