Sunday, February 23, 2020

Exchanges for single earrings, odd shoes

Here's a NY Times story about what to do if you've lost one of a pair of earrings (and don't want to become a pirate...)

The Five Stages of Earring Loss--What to do when one earlobe goes bare. By Nancy Wartik

"In 2012, Ms. Kennedy created a Facebook page called My Lost Earring, inspired by the loss of one of her glass seagull earrings. They were a gift from her husband, but one of them vanished on a long-ago bike ride, a loss she still mourns.
...
"I put a photo on the My Lost Earring page, which Ms. Kennedy estimates has made at least 200 pairings. Matches can take weeks, months, sometimes years, she cautioned, encouraging me not to abandon hope."
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That reminded me of the National Odd Shoe Exchange

"NATIONAL ODD SHOE EXCHANGE was founded in St. Louis, Missouri in 1943. The late Ruth Rubin-Feldman created the organization as a support for polio survivors. Herself a survivor of polio, Ms. Feldman had feet of significantly different sizes. When wartime rationing made buying two sizes even more difficult, she conceived the idea of a service whereby people with similar problems could register their names and sizes. The registry served as a clearing-house that put people with similar interests and tastes, but opposite foot sizes, in touch with one another. Together the new friends could buy footwear and share the cost. No shoes were wasted and they saved money!

"With many veterans coming home from the war as amputees, the service grew and broadened its scope. First Lady Elenor Roosevelt gave NATIONAL ODD SHOE EXCHANGE nationwide recognition for providing such a valuable service."

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