Monday, April 11, 2016

Foot Steps on Life's Path


I have always been fascinated by shoes.  Of all clothing accessories, shoes
are my favorite.  I fondly remember each pair of new shoes throughout my
childhood.  

We begin our lives wearing the sweetest little shoes.  Shoes that will never 
wear out because they are more for the benefit of the parents than the baby.
Tiny little bits of fabric beautifully embellished with satin and lace and
the tiniest of buttons.  Shoes that will be photographed on tiny little feet and
then stored away for years in a box.



They are passed on and treasured mementos of a time that will never return.



Beloved Mary Janes, worn with party dresses yet no longer perfect
because the desire to run and jump and play is overwhelming.

Shoes can also tell a story of the path we choose to take in this life.
I once knew a brilliant physicist who wore old worn shoes and the
soles of his shoes were full of holes covered by Duck Tape.  He 
could have purchased new ones, but he thought they were still
perfectly usable and he didn't care because his mind was always
researching cosmic rays.  I admired him because he blazed
his own trail in worn out, unfashionable shoes that suited him
just fine.  To him, function won out over form.

I also knew a young man who loved to wear conservative
wing tips.  They suited him perfectly because he was
priggish, had an excellent mind for business, and knew he
was going places.  At the time I remember thinking they
looked like something a middle aged man would wear and
not the preferred shoes of a twenty something.  Frankly, he
annoyed me and he eventually became a hedge fund manager.
Those shoes were perfect for him.

It's also easy to tell which coast someone is from by the 
type of shoes they wear.  Take my husband for example.
His closet is full of Sperry Topsiders and Allen Edmonds
loafers, worn without socks.  Although he was born in
Texas, he spent much of his youth in boarding schools on
the east coast and their style is reflected on his feet.

While living in the Middle East, I saw many men
wearing sandals that looked to be as much in fashion 
then as they once were in Biblical times.

Shoes take so many forms, from the practical to the 
status symbol.  A person's social status can be read in
moments by what they are wearing on their feet.  Fights
have broken out over special shoes.  Children have cried
because their shoes are not the current fashion craze or
sadly because they have none to wear.  

I love pretty shoes and always have.  However, when I 
think about it, the physicist with the old worn out shoes
is the one that always clings to my memory because the 
trail he was blazing in those shoes, would have an effect
on generations to come.

Have a great Monday filled with wonder and adventure.

Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley







12 comments:

  1. Fun post. I love to crochet baby booties. My shoes -- none today... socks with the rubber "grippers" on the bottom so I don't slip on the hardwood floors. :)
    Hugs to you and Bentley from the purrs and moi......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm laughing because as I wrote this, I was not wearing shoes and am still not! Love you dear friend!!

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  2. Susan, a beautiful thought-provoking post! Shoes have always been my most important accessory, but as I have gotten older, comfort has become a necessity! I was heartbroken after visiting Togo, West Africa and saw mostly bare feet, with a few wearing worn-out flip flops! Happy Monday, Pam @ Everyday Living

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  3. I think that few of us realize the suffering of the third world. Once one has seen and experienced it, the image is never forgotten. Thanks for stopping by Pam!

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  4. I know exactly what you mean. I went to an estate sale where there were about 10 sets of baby shoes, so sweet. The woman said they were hers and her mother had saved them her whole life. She didn't want them, which about broke my heart. I bought All of them for $2.00 and considered them a rescue mission. I planted them with succulents and lined them down the steps. So adorable! By planting them in small plastic bags first, the shoes remain in wonderful shape.

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  5. Hi Susan! I still have a pair of my baby shoes. My mother had told me I learned to walk in them. I just couldn't get rid of them! When I was little I had a pair of shoes for play, for school and then a pair for church! ;)
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia;)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I nave some vintage baby shoes and I always wonder about them. Who wire them what became of the, nice post with love Janice

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  7. I still have some of my son's baby shoes. I have to tell you I LOVE shoes and always wore my Mary Jane's, the black pat-tin leather ones. Then when a little older I had to have a pair of red shoes always. Now that I am olden I am luck to find shoes that I can wear due to my bunions.

    I loved your post and it is so very true. I still have a pair of red shoes. LOL

    you and Bentley have a great week.

    Mary

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  8. Fun post. Thanks for sharing. Have a good day.

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  9. You're so right about shoes and what they say about the wearer. I love both the idea of someone completely unaffected by the look of what's on his feet AND the person who is so very particular and careful. I don't think either is right or wrong. I have a shameful number of pairs of shoes an often think of the children with none at all.

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  10. Interesting post. My father always made us polish our shoes on Saturday, and he always said you can tell a lot about a person's character by their shoes.

    ReplyDelete

Oliver and I LOVE and read every comment.

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