A First For Special Olympics Athlete

Jake Kuehl

One fine day this month 53-year-old Peter Matter, who competes as an athlete in Special Olympics, had stopped by the window at a shoe store and was looking at a pair of athletic shoes. The man was dressed casually, but his own shoes were tattered and torn.

Jake Kuehl was out shopping at the same mall in Eau Claire, WI, with his family, when he happened upon Mr. Matter. Jake wrote, "I caught up with the gentleman and asked him if he liked the shoes he was just looking at. He told me he really liked them, he looks at them every time he's at the mall. I said to him, 'What do you say we go in the store and get them?'"



But Mr. Matter was a bit reluctant; you see, he didn't have enough money to pay for them. But Mr. Kuehl told him not to worry about the money; they were going to get the shoes. That hesitance turned into a smile and his eyes lit up.

Both men had picked the perfect store; it was huge and it was filled with shoes of all types. Mr. Kuehl spotted a salesperson and asked if that person could help Mr. Matter pick out some shoes. In that process, Mr. Kuehl found out that Mr. Matter really loved bright colors. Also, because he wasn't sure about when Mr. Matter would be able to replace those shoes, he made sure that the shoes were well-constructed and would last a long time.

Once he had picked out the right pair, Mr. Matter showed his new friend how to tie the shoes so they always stay tied and you don't ever have to re-tie them. He also talked about his Special Olympics activities and how he plays softball. Obviously, new shoes would be quite valuable the next time he played.

At the end, when the shoes were paid for, by Mr. Kuehl, Mr. Matter remembered to thank him for his kindness. He also said about this special day, "Nobody did this for me, buy me shoes like that." And, you know, Mr. Matter wasn't the only one who was feeling good about his day. Mr. Kuehl was also feeling the joy that comes from helping another human being. May we all remember that each act of kindness results in two beneficiaries - the one who gives and the one who receives.

Mr. Matter is stylin' while wearing his new shoes.

Thanks to this article from Kindness Blog: http://kindnessblog.com/2015/07/24/kind-stranger-buys-shoes-for-a-special-olympics-athlete/; and this article from Opposing Views: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/social/man-helps-special-olympics-athlete-buy-shoes-video.

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