My Shoe History, Myself

I did a shoe inventory tonight. Chuck was kind enough to carry my last giant box of shoes in from the garage so I could sort through them all and see exactly what I have. I'm preparing my work wardrobe for my start next week. For me, it's a big part of the fun of having a job - dressing for it.
So as I dug through the shoes - the ones in the box and the ones in the giant suitcase in my closet and the ones jumbled up in the closet - I realized I was also sorting through my past. Since I keep my shoes for years and years, lots of memories are connected to them. They're almost like family members. But I did something I've been needing to do for a long time - I culled the ones that I don't wear and will never wear again. That was hard. It was like throwing away history. Don't get me wrong - I kept a lot of shoes that, odds are, will never find their way onto my feet again in this lifetime. Others, I reluctantly threw in the "to go" box with a huge sigh and fond farewell.
Here are some of the shoes I kept and a few I sent to Shoe Purgatory and Shoe Heaven:

I bought these boots in Durango several years ago. They've been through it all - snow, rain, ice, sunshine, parties, music festivals, family milestones, my job at DCC. Their soles have walked the streets of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, California, Utah and Texas. Still in great shape, they will continue to make their home in my closet.

Oh, how I've loved these shoes. They're in pretty rough shape. I can't remember exactly when I bought them, but I do remember where they've been, which is pretty much everywhere I've been the past 10 years. I specifically recall wearing them when I flew to California from Texas and back. I was amazed at how comfortable they were when I was walking miles and miles to get to my terminal in LAX. I think these will go to Shoe Purgatory until I decide their fate.

I bought these shoes for New Years Eve in Miami Beach in December 2005. I wish I still had the red dress I wore with them when we went out to The Sandbar to ring in the new year. That was an awesome dress and these were outstanding shoes. I think I also wore them at my son's wedding in June 2006, and many times since. Unfortunately, they're in terrible shape and are headed for Shoe Heaven.

These bowling shoes were given to me by a good friend of mine who has chosen not to be my friend anymore for reasons I don't understand or really even know about. But what I do know is these shoes remind me of the good times we had when we were friends, and of Friday nights our group of former high school classmates spent drinking beer, dancing and - oh yeah, bowling - at Hurst Bowl last year. I will be keeping these because some day Chuck might decide he wants to challenge my mad bowling skills and I want to be ready. I may not have a bowling ball, but I'll have these cute pink shoes! Take that, Chuck!

Chacos. Chacos, Chacos, Chacos! Probably some of the most expensive shoes in my closet, believe it or not. I got them for cost (half the usual retail price) because my daughter worked for a rafting company. These babies have served me well - tubing, rafting and duckying on the Animas, Dolores, Piedras and San Juan rivers in Colorado and Utah, the Frio River in Texas, and hiking and camping in the San Juan and Rocky mountains and in Utah, Arizona and Nevada. I will never, ever get rid of these shoes. They will have to be pried from my cold dead hands when I go to meet my maker - perhaps not even then.

Here's another favorite pair of heels that have seen better days. I still love to wear them because they're so darn cute and comfortable. I bought them to wear to my daughter Taylor's wedding in Colorado, and I've put them to great use ever since. These have a special place in my closet, as I will be wearing them to work often.

An oldie but goodie, I bought these shoes at Dillard's about 10 years ago when I worked for American Heart Association. They are quite well worn. I specifically remember wearing them at my other daughters' weddings - Steph and Jess. (The weddings were just one month apart. Talk about some crazy wedding planning! Sheesh!) I'm not sure if I will keep these shoes or not. I haven't worn them in a long time because I'm just not into the pointed toes anymore. But they sure are cute, so perhaps I'll send them to Purgatory.

For me, this shoe represents one of the craziest nights I have ever experienced in my life. It also is a symbol of the life I lived in Durango and the person I was then.  That person was not much different than the woman I am now. I just think I'm quite a bit wiser, calmer, safer and at peace with myself and my world now than I was during my "searching" years in Colorado. I've carried this lone shoe around for over two years (its mate was lost somewhere in downtown Durango). Though part of me is sad to see it - and what it represents - go, I think it's time to say adieu. So long, dear one. I hear Shoe Heaven is lovely. I hope you find your true mate again someday soon, just like I did.