On Sunny Lane: Wash Someone’s Feet

Many years ago, I was a director of a volunteer agency. We were affiliated with a national organization. As a result, every year, all directors of affiliated agencies were required to attend a seminar at a different city in the United States so they could be updated on the newest information and procedures. It was a weekend event full of workshops, interspersed with fun activities and retreat-type sessions. One particular year, the board of directors agreed to send me to the seminar.

I was goal oriented. I chose my workshops carefully, took notes and asked questions. I didn’t spend much time meeting other directors, talking or doing any networking. I wanted to be a good steward of the money that had been expended by the loyal supporters of the agency on my behalf.

At the end of the seminar, all of the directors attended a large-group wrapup. The final activity was for each director to “wash the feet” of someone who had been of help to them at some point during the seminar. In other words, we were to express our thanks to another person who had expanded our educational input.

I was left all alone, while others were flitting across the room to find their new contacts and express their thanks. People were talking and laughing all around the room. Except for me. I may have been a good student, but I missed a lot of information that I could have learned by interpersonal interaction.

Fast forward to last year. I took part in the county follies for the eighth year. It is a program filled with songs, skits and dances to entertain the audience. I do some skits and a jazz dance with some other senior citizens. The follies is presented at the local high school and some of the students take part in it, as well.

One of the things they do is apply makeup to the cast members who do not feel adept at putting it on themselves. I am one of those people. So, I asked one young lady to apply my makeup. She needed to do it three times, counting dress rehearsal and two performances. She was very available and anxious to please. I liked that about her.

Now, many of the performers needed to use body microphones so the audience could hear them well. The school, however, did not have the wherewithal to have enough body mics for everyone who needed one, so we had to trade mics between acts.

After I completed my act, I hurried into the hallway to give the mic I had to the next person who would use it. She helped me to take it off and I helped her to tape it to her face and hook it to her clothing. We struck up a conversation. I told her how much I enjoyed her singing and she expressed her admiration for my skit.

When all of the members got together for the last cast meeting, the last activity the director asked us to do was to “wash someone’s feet.” This time I knew who I was going to approach. It was the young girl who put on my makeup. She was surprised, because she didn’t think she was doing anything out of the ordinary.

Then, to my surprise, the woman who shared my microphone came over and told me how I helped her to overcome her nervousness by our conversation. I didn’t think I had done anything unusual.

Little do we know how much our lives are intermingled in our daily pursuits. And, just by being our usual selves, we can “wash other people’s feet”--if we only try.

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Dorothy is the author of two books—“Miles and Miracles” and “Getting It All Together “. You can purchase a book or send a comment by emailing her at dorothybutzknight@gmail.com