crunching on an apple for lunch, my feet swung from side to side as they dangled from the wall, a foot above the busy pavement. in between class, the sidewalks are crowded with hurrying, distracted students, and i sat only a few feet back from the main walkway. as i was enthusiastically swinging my legs, my colorful snake-skin-esk right shoe jumped off my foot and landed two feet in front of me - not quite in the student traffic line. my legs stopped swinging. i groaned. i was enjoying a particularly crisp gala apple and an odwalla superfood which was balanced in my lap. deciding whether to move my lunch, jump off the wall, replace my shoe, and climb back atop the wall or wait for another fifteen minutes to retrieve my lost possession as i walked to my next class, i stared lazily at the rebellious object - willing it to walk back to me and climb onto my foot itself. as i stared with pursed lips, inwardly debating, a pair of black dress shoes, partially covered with men's dress slacks, jogged to stop in front of my forlorn little shoe. startled, i looked up to see a well-dressed young man (talking business on his cell phone) stoop down and snatch up the shoe. walking a pace forward and bending close to the pavement again, he gently took the back of my ankle with his free hand and guided my foot back into the small, humbled shoe. dropping his hand from my ankle, he swiftly stood, still responding to the conversation in which he hadn't missed a beat, and began pacing away. still slightly stunned, i called after him, "Thank you!" without turning his head or body, he raised a hand - the only acknowledgement thus far of his surprisingly thoughtful deed. smiling and chuckling, i looked down at my now-submissive right shoe. if only there was a kind, charming gentleman to take care of every wayward shoe in this world, every woman would be as happy as Cinderellla, and have as many shoes, too. so, thank you, mr. charming man, for your thoughtfulness, regardless of how preoccupied you were.
