The Shoes We Wear….
This past week has been a particularly lazy one. Or has it? If judging by my pile of shoes, one would think so… but upon careful examination I saw something completely different. The complexity of the pile.
The pile consisted of the following…
*My “merrells,” used for outdoor foul weather and keeping my feet safe and dry.
*My dress boots for comfort and dressing up an occasion but still casual
*My black sketchers, comfortable, easy to slip into, discreet and unassuming. Will fit with just about everything – my what I call “Daily Drivers”
*My Workout tennis shoes, low to the ground, supportive, typically not something worn when not going to the gym.
…. and last but not least…. my camouflage glitter, fur lined slippers which are currently on my feet.
Again, to the untrained eye, this seems like the height of laziness… plopping down on the couch and flipping off the shoes. To me it represents a week full of activity… going from one thing to the next with a pitstop in-between and getting a lot accomplished….
- The Merrells – A trip to the island, climbing over rocks, boulders, and walking on the sand in February. Climbing on and off the boat without worry of slippage. Trudging through water soaked pathways to get to the other side of the island. Spending a full morning out in elements that normally would have produced cold, wet feet, and ending it warm and dry.
- The Boots – A dinner out with a friend, where I was able to dress “up” vs my daily commute across the hall to my desk where bunny slippers and a t-shirt are completely acceptable.
- The Sketchers – Being able to freely move about my day, essentially barefoot. Because of their ease and comfort, at any given moment they are discarded to enjoy the glory of being barefoot, yet can easily be slipped back on for protection or warmth considering the calendar date.
- The Workout Shoes – Validate that yes, I have participated in taking care to focus on my health and show up for Me.
- …. and then The Slippers… my overall comfort… a gift from my friend, more as a joke than anything because they are just so darned obnoxious, to be used at least once in my weekly shoe picture with my dad… (another blog post) – they are now my go to in the middle of the day, in the middle of the night… go to the pool, go outside for a minute, go from the couch to the kitchen, shoe.
So what’s the big deal about shoes? They, like hats define us, where we are and what we are doing. Wearing the right shoes, is just like having the right tool for a job or wearing an identifiable hat. They SAY what we are doing.
Obviously they should’t be in a pile, in my living room, beside the couch. However, if I hadn’t breathed for a moment and looked around me – this writing would never have materialized, so I feel justified, and have now returned them to their proper home.
So the next time you put on your shoes… vs. your hat, from your head to your toe. What are you doing? What path are you walking? Do you have the right tools for the job? Are you walking in the right direction?
THERE is the Question to ask yourself…
Are you walking in the right direction on the path that gives you the most fulfillment, with the right tools?
If the answer is no. Perhaps you should go shoe shopping.
