There are a lot of people who do good things to benefit others. But, it is really special when someone exercises great Selflessness and does not look to be recognized for doing it. One cold night in New York City, Officer Deprimo did just that. Here is his story….

Great Selflessness 

On a cold November night in Times Square, Officer Lawrence DePrimo was working a counterterrorism post when he encountered an older, barefooted homeless man. The officer disappeared for a moment, then returned with a new pair of boots, and knelt to help the man lace them up and put them on.

The act of kindness would have gone unnoticed and mostly forgotten, had it not been for a tourist from Arizona.

Her snapshot— taken with her cellphone on Nov. 14 and posted to the New York Police Deparment’s Facebook page late the next day, made Officer DePrimo an overnight Internet hero.

Officer DePrimo, 25, who joined the department in 2010 and lived with his parents on Long Island at the time, was shocked at the attention. 

The officer, normally assigned to the Sixth Precinct in the West Village, readily recalled the encounter. “It was freezing out and you could see the blisters on the man’s feet,” he said in an interview. “I had two pairs of socks and I was still cold.” They started talking; he found out the man’s shoe size: 12.

As the man walked slowly down Seventh Avenue on his heels, Officer DePrimo went into a Skechers shoe store at about 9:30 p.m. “We were just kind of shocked,” said Jose Cano, 28, a manager working at the store that night. “Most of us are New Yorkers and we just kind of pass by that kind of thing. Especially in this neighborhood.”

Mr. Cano volunteered to give the officer his employee discount to bring down the regular $100 price of the all-weather boots to a little more than $75. The officer has kept the receipt in his vest since then, he said, “to remind me that sometimes people have it worse.”

-Adapted from a 2012 New York Times article

Andersons’ 12 Word or less Definition of Selflessness

Putting the needs of others before my own needs, desires, or convenience.

The Bottom Line:

“Sometimes people have it worse.” is a great reminder to all of us. We often get caught up in our ourselves and forget that fact.

Many people intend to be selfless, but they pass up daily opportunities to serve other people. Often, we walk by because it is inconvenient at the moment to stop and serve someone else’s needs. The thing is, it is rarely convenient to exercise Selflessness.

Officer Deprimo saw a need, and he took care of the need. He decided to exercise great Selflessness without looking for recognition for doing it.

By the way, if we like to get recognition each time we exercise Selflessness – it may not be that selfless.

Question:

What is a simple selfless thing you can do for someone else today?

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