“Went to the airport barefoot this morning and it was the best feeling ever.”
Bryan Hodgson is the Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at the University of Buffalo, and no, he didn’t go to the airport barefoot for TSA purposes.
Facebook
On September 29, Bryan was headed to San Francisco International Airport when he decided to stop and get his caffeine fix at a local Starbucks (because, obviously).
“I got in line behind a homeless man with no shoes on, he had collected enough change to grab a banana and a drink,” Bryan wrote on Facebook.
It’s important to add that at this point in the morning, the basketball coach was still wearing both of his shoes.
“After getting his drink he spilled a little on the ground and rushed over to grab some napkins to immediately clean up after himself saying, ‘I would hate for someone to step in this.’ The man with no shoes on was worried that someone else with shoes on might step in his mess.”
How’s that for a dose of perspective?
Bryan says he then followed the man to the back of the store as he went to get more napkins, then asked him if he owned any shoes.
“He said, ‘Man, they stole them from me last night, but you know what. I’m not going to complain. That is the life of a homeless man.’ Told me to Have a nice day and didn’t ask me for a thing.”
Taken aback by the man’s humble response, Bryan asked him what size shoes he wore.
“He said 11. I told him I’m a 14 but would give him my shoes if he wanted. He didn’t even think about it..didn’t matter what size.”
Bryan took his shoes off right there in that Starbucks, and gave them to the shoe-less homeless man, who was brought to tears by the gesture.
Facebook
The two walked out to Bryan’s car as the homeless man asked several times if he was sure about giving him the shoes off his feet.
His selflessness totally blew Bryan away. Here’s a man without any shoes to put on his feet, asking a man who has two more pairs of shoes in his bag (for a four-day trip) if he was sure about giving them away.
Bryan wrote the post, not for a pat on the back in giving away his shoes, but to bring awareness to the fact that there are good people out there and they need our help.
Jesus calls us in the Bible to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). Bryan says he hopes in sharing his experience that others will feel led to reach out and do something to care for another today.
“At the end of the day I am blessed to have a job where I get free shoes regularly. The look on his face when I gave him my shoes was priceless. He wasn’t begging, he didn’t even ask me for a single thing. I hope he enjoys the heck out of those comfortable Nike Air Prestos, and somehow finds a way to pay it forward.”
There are a million ways we can each be used to make “even the smallest difference.” Look for opportunities to love others in your community and beyond, today!
