Sole Searching

Today I've had my first, true Blip dilemma: Which photo do I use.

One of the many wonderful things about working in London is the opportunity it provides for a sharp snap. Today, there were six or seven opportunities to capture a moment or an object but I removed these and left myself with two. I may use the other another day. It's taken me 3 hours of on/off thinking to decide which to use and, ultimately, the decision came down to what I'm looking to achieve from this Blipping year. It's not just a record of things I've seen, it's a record of things I've done. A 365 photo journey. And there are some things that I see and do that are mundane and banal but these too have a place as they form part of my life and, therefore form part of the journey too.

If you've ever watched a craftsman at work, you will appreciate the level of skill required to make a very difficult job look ridiculously simple: A decorator cutting into the sharpest corner with the straightest line, a joiner mitring an angle, a carpet fitter cutting around pipe work and seamlessly connecting joints, a tailor stitching a split yoke shirt. I have seen all of these and many more.

Today I watched Jonathon (pictured) fix my shoes. A replacement heel has been needed for some time so with a 20 minute window, I went on the hunt for a 'while-u-wait' outfit. Charing Cross Station has a heel bar but no seat. 20 minutes standing at a station wearing only socks wasn't my desired look so I moved on. A Google search and the discovery of a few shops I've never seen down near Embankment and I found him.

Of all the trades, the repair he carried out today for me didn't require the greatest of skills, just the right tools for the job. But while we waited for the glue to begin going off, I watched him hand stitch a sole on a gentleman's shoe that required precision, strength and skill I've not witnessed before.

And watching him got me thinking about the time he's taken to learn his craft. To practice meticulously over the last 25 years until he could take a hand sewn shoe and confidently add his mark to keep it walking another few years. He wasn't thinking about it, he was chatting to me...it just happened.

I am guilty of wanting too much too soon, getting frustrated if I can't do something immediately and getting cross if I try and then ruin whatever it is. In general, life has gone this way. We have got used to the immediacy of everything but actually, watching Jonathan today made me realise that I need to take a little more time, a little more care and apply myself better to learning what I need to: I need to learn to walk before I run.

'Thats a big smile. Do you like what you do, Jonathon?'

'I meet 25 or more people a day whose path I wouldn't otherwise cross. I can't think of anything I'd rather do.'


I wish I'd asked him why shoe repair guys also cut keys too. Maybe I'll go back....