Blue Suede Shoes
With barely 2 weeks to her friend’s wedding, Bola was beyond excited. She had been frantically counting down the days upon receiving her invitation 3 months ago. It was going to be a small sized wedding of no more than 100 people and Bola considered it a privilege to be part of Pearls’ wedding. She needed to look her best so she did a quick outfit audit. Jewelry- check, wig- triple check, designer clutch – double check, statement earrings – check, killer shoes – uncheck. Bola had everything except her shoes.
None of the 7 stores she had visited in the past week had anything that tickled her fancy. There was one final shoe store (Unique Shoes) Bola had to visit, and although it was 30 miles away, it came highly recommended by a shoe fanatic. “This store is like an endless sea of shoes, you will find anything you want here” said Grace. Convinced by Grace’s shoe collection, Bola embarked on that trip one Saturday morning to find her perfect price. So with music on full blast and the GPS activated, she inched closer and closer to her destination with every passing minute. The shoes had to be a particular shade of blue and it had to be suede, nothing less than 6 inches. That was the color that would complement her outfit.
“Good afternoon Ms., welcome to Unique Shoes. What can I help you find today”? said the sales associate l beaming with a smile brighter than the colors of the rainbow. “I’m in search of a blue suede shoe” replied Bola. “Great, I think I can help. Come this way with me”, and with that, the sales associate led Bola to a section of blue shoes. She beamed with excitement because alas, there were countless options to choose from. Many shades of blue at the right height and price. After over an hour of trying on shoes and seeking the opinion of fellow shoppers, Bola narrowed down her selections to 3 potential shoes, 2 of which were a size 9 and the 3rd a size 8. She needed to walk away with just 1 pair of shoes, so which one would it be? Eventually, she made her choice and began that drive back home.
Pearl’s wedding day finally arrived and before long it was time for the reception. Everyone was dancing and chatting the night away. What better place to be joyful than at a wedding. But there was one person who did not seem to be enjoying that moment. She was thrilled her friend had found the love of her life but Bola had bigger fish to fry. 2 weeks ago, she had to decide between three shoes, and although she was a size 9, she opted for the shoe that was a size 8. Weird choice, one would say. To us, it would seem like an obvious wrong choice but not to Bola.; at least not at the time she made that choice. Engrossed in her unbalanced quest for the perfect shade over the perfect size, she was convinced she would be alright in a smaller size shoe.
At check out, the sales associate who graciously led her to the blue shoe collection recalled Bola mentioning being a size 9, so she tried to get Bola’s attention that she had the wrong size. Bola’s epic response was “I know it’s not exactly my size but I tried it on and the design and make of the shoe is such that I can manage a smaller size”. With that response, the salesgirl smiled and completed the transaction. What Bola failed to realize was the fact that trying on a shoe in a store for a few minutes and “managing it” could not be compared with the real application of having to wear those shoes for 4 continuous hours. So here she was, all styled up and color coordinated but miserable on her feet. No doubt the shoes were pretty to look at, the color was great and she did receive compliments but no amount of compliment could ease her discomfort. O, if only her complementors could recognize the depth of pain she was enduring.
Bola had allowed herself to be distracted by the fixation on a shade of color at the expense of the size. And when a pair of shoes are the wrong size/fit, it does nothing but bring discomfort and create blisters, you can’t automatically make it a right size. If she had the chance to relive that experience, she would have chosen the right fit over the perfect color. Going barefoot at a high level reception did not seem like a welcome option so she endured hours of pain. The shoe she traveled miles and paid for using her hard earned cash was now a source of pain at a time when she needed it the most to complete her look. She barely moved that night and when she did, those steps were very calculated. Alas, the reception was over and it was time to bid adieu.
After exchanging final pleasantries and wishing the newly minted couple a happy married life, she had the final arduous task of walking to her car. By this time, her feet were swollen and she felt a biting pain with every step she took. The 500ft walk to her car felt like the journey of a million miles, wincing every step she took. The moment she made her way into her car and shut the door, she freed her feet from those shoes at a pace quicker than the speed of light. Ahh, such relief, never again will you come close to my feet”.
Moral of the story
Life is like a party that we have all been invited to. Know your shoe size, pick your size, enjoy the party.
At this party, the music does not stop because you picked the wrong size. So in the event that you pick the wrong size and begin to experience blisters on your feet, don’t let your feet rot in the process. Take off the wrong shoes, treat your wound, find the right size, rejoin the party and keep moving.
What might be a perfect fit for one person, could be disastrous for you. Admire people’s shoes but don’t covet them. Find your own fit of shoes and admire them.
Should you become fixated on anything, do ensure to focus on the “size” of things rather than the “color”. Color can be negotiated but size cannot.
Mistakes and compromises are almost inevitable when one is desperate. In all you do, strive to avoid desperate situations.
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