Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Why do I keep shoes that I won't wear?

Gazing at the bottom of my closet, again, it is obvious that I still have shoes that I haven't worn in years. I question, "Why do I continue to keep shoes that I can't or won't wear anymore?"

I keep some of them up front, so I can see them each day. I have hopes that today will be the day I start wearing them again. I tell myself, "these shoes were too expensive to just sit here in the closet." My favorite $500 pair of "Jimmy Choo's" shoes come to mind. They are beautiful to the eye. They are the perfect accessories to any dress. They are the kind of shoes that draw everyone's attention to my legs and feet. This is a desired effect when you are single with long, firm, brown legs (at any age). So, why don't I wear them more often? The truth is, the extreme arch that is created by the height of the narrow heal, which places all my weight on the balls of my feet, is excruciatingly painful after just 15 minutes of standing. Plainly put, these shoes are made for sitting only! Any other activity, beyond finding your seat, would result in the kind of despair that you can't hide. Consequently, the shoes rarely leave the my closet, and almost never leave out the front door.

Conversely, there are those shoes that I keep in the back of my closet. They are not so attractive, but oh so comfortable. These shoes are most likely to have an odd color or atypical texture. They only match one outfit, and sometimes you have to stretch to make them palatable with that one outfit. The heals are low, the toes are wide and the soles are thick. There is nothing sexy about these shoes. They just feel good. So, why don't I wear them more often? The answer is simple, I want to look as perky as possible. These shoes, conversely, are a dead give away that I am over forty (LOL). Besides, no one under that age was even around when they were for sale in the stores.

So, why can't I separate myself from these shoes? I need to let go of the past, in some cases. I need to come face to face with the fact that I made a poor choice (purchase), in other cases. Either way, I need to remove the clutter in my closet to make room for the new shoes to come. I need to learn from both the good and bad experiences with shoes. I don't need to stop wearing shoes. I just need to be more clear about my motives to buy shoes in the future. Lastly, I need to keep the comfort and the health of my feet at the forefront of all my footwear decisions. Specifically, I need to put my needs first! So, join me in a commitment to throw away all those shoes the you can't or won't wear anymore.

The same evaluation could be made regarding the partners in our lives. Why do we keep partners around that no longer fit our life style? Why can't we stop seeing those partners that hurt us emotionally or otherwise? Why do we keep some memories of past relationships at the forefront of our conversations? Why do we measure our worth based on the aesthetic value or status of our relationships? Why can't we just agree to become more educated shoppers in the future? Are we ready to let go of some of the clutter in our closet, yet?

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