No. That isn't a typo...aren't you relieved? My soul is in the same condition its been in for the past few years, I don't think about it much as I don't believe there is much I can do to change where it'll end up in the next sixty or seventy years at this point. But thats not what I'm here to talk about, am I? Nope, you're absolutely right, its not.
No, today is a very sad day, though, and that is what I want to share.
Two weeks ago one of my silly little Dansko clogs began squeeking as I walked down the hallway at my office. It was just a little annoying, not at all embarrassing, mostly because it was just this cute little "ree...ree...ree...ree" as I walked along. I just figured I stepped in something that was causing this new development. It didn't really bother me that much, so I opted not to investigate any further.
Last week the partner of this clog picked up the habit as well. It sounded like whenever I walked the halls here at my job my two shoes would be chatting together, perhaps wondering if I was going to take them somewhere cool for once. They hadn't done any REAL work in a while and I couldn't blame them. Walking carpeted hallways inside the building where I work doesn't really inspire any excitement for me either!
I couldn't figure it out. I mean, leather shoes squeek sometimes, right? But I've had these for at least a decade and I couldn't remember them EVER squeeking. But regardless I continued on, just taking in the new feature of my worn leather footwear. Until sometime last weekend when I bent to remove my well-worn shoes after coming in from visiting with my goats, at which point I saw the culprit for the squeekiness and my world seemed to slow and my feet simultaneously screamed "noooooooooo".
Sure enough, I looked down at my lovely, reddish-brown, worn leather clogs and there was a crack in the sole. I looked a little closer and I saw a huge split across the entire width of it. I was in shock. These shoes were a throw-back to the days when my Mom owned Silver and Leather Tack, a horse-supply store in my hometown in southern Vermont. I'd worn them thousands of times out to the barn where I spent half my free time with my Mom and our horses during my adolescence. I can't even recall all the places they've been; Niagra Falls, Colorado, all over New England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. They'd walked the sidewalks and barns at the University of Connecticut to the grassy lawns and frolf course at Johnson State college. They've seen so many seasons and have blessed my feet during countless days and nights.
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What a sweet story. You must never get rid of these special leather friends. Maybe you could frame them in some deep shadow-box type frame or hang them on a wall in your barn office where you could touch them coming and going. You'll thik of something special for them.
Where do you get such clogs? I'm ready to buy. With and endorsement like yours, I think I need some.
Ooooops. I just googled Dansko clogs and now I see why I never had a pair. Too expensive for my budget, but I'm sure they're worth every penny.
Man I need a kleenex now that I read that...good thing your birthday is coming! Although a new pair can't replace the memories in those shoes but I'm sure they'll be just as comfy after a few months. I remember the trade show when I first decided to start selling those amazing shoes. I even remember the face of my sales rep , but alas I'm not sure of her name...could be Sonja though. She told me just wear a pair around the show for the day and then come back here to let me know what you think. So I did wear them and while I walked around I said, hmm okay they are comfortable..but whats the big deal? When I got back to her booth and she gave me my old shoes to put on , as soon as I put them on my feet I knew what the big deal was...my shoes felt like rocks....I knew at that point I needed those clogs!!! Man and now after reading your blog , I wish I had my old pair of "professionals" too.
I'm so glad you cherish the times in the barn as much as I do, those are the happiest moments in my life ( well until now, things just all of a sudden just keep getting better and better now that we moved to Vermont again!)
oh and btw Coneflower - they maybe expensive shoes, they maybe ugly shoes, but you'll NEVER have a more comfortable shoe in your life...:) Well worth the investment!
Coneflower- YES they ARE so expensive!!! (one of the OTHER reasons I'm so distressed) I guess they didn't used to be so $$, I was only able to afford a pair because my Mom sold them in her store, so we got them wholesale. You can sometimes find really good deals on Ebay for them, though. Keep your eyes out, they are SO worth a little investment. Just think, how many pairs of shoes can you honestly say you've had for a decade (maybe even longer?) personally I can't think of ANY myself! :)
Thanks for stopping in!