The worn shoes.
The alarm sounded in the morning like the many other before it. I attempted to roll over pulling the sheets over my head as if by doing so it would somehow stop the minutes from passing and again hearing the alarm. This time instead of the dreadful repeated loud time of the alarm, the radio sounded. “Zapp featuring Roger” pounded forth “MORE Bounce TO THE OUNCE”. Although still laying in bed I found my head nodding in rhythm with song. Sitting up I left out a big moan as I stretched. Standing up my body swayed side to side impressing the invisible ladies in my room dancing with me.
Stepping into my closet I pulled out my clothes for
day and slipped on my worn shoes. As I sat for my breakfast which comprised of Kellogg Corn Flakes and milk in my favorite plastic bowl, I began to think of my dreaded walk to school. It wasn’t a particularly long walk, it was just the same walk each day and it hurt my feet.
Grabbing my jacket and the camouflaged backpack with my books in it I left out the front door. “Sup Ike” said Bubbles as we met up. “Why you in a bad mood” he asked me “It’s too early to be in a bad mood” he said laughing. “Man I hate this walk” I responded “This walk be killing my feet” I said.
All day in school it sucked. “Why don’t we have carpet in the hallways like the rich schools!” I would say to everyone who had the misfortune of listening. “These floors kill my feet.”
After school we stopped at the park. No matter how badly y feet hurt, they never bad enough to stop us from shooting hoops. We played hours, but feet felt like we played for days. As the sun began to sit Bubbles and I began the walk back home. Each step of the way I was reminded how this walk sucked. “Tomorrow we are going to walk a different way to school.” “Cool” replied Bubbles and he crossed the street to his home “Peace”.
The next morning the same sequence began my day but this time the radio played “Celebration” from Kool and the gang. Although not the pounding beat of Zapp from yesterday V-103 did its job of waking me up. Clothes picked out, hair brushed, teeth brushed, and cereal eaten, I slipped on my warm shoes. Running a little late Bubbles knocked on my door “Yo you ready to go” he asked as I flung my backpack over my shoulder. We started walking when the pain it “Man we taking a different way to school today” I reminded him. “I got you” he said as we turned to head a different way.
The entire walk I kept complaining about how the pavement needs to be fixed. “These pavements all chipped and uneven. They are killing my feet!” School was any other day, class after class, and the constant reminder that we are not one of the fortunate schools that have carpet in our hallways and classrooms. After school we took a slightly different pathway to the park. Still, this path too hurt my feet. We played ball for hours while I was constantly reminded that the city needs to replace the court cuz “my dogs are killing me”! Translation “my feet hurt”.
For months the same routine would happen daily, just slightly differently on the weekends. The only comfort I had was knowing that my faithful worn shoes were always waiting for holes in them and all.
This story is much like the way we live life. Each day we encounter discomfort, hardships, and pain, yet we neglect to address the real reason why.
I blamed everything around me for my daily pain except for the obvious. Truthfully, I new what the problem was, but since they were my usual, I would rather live within my discomfort than change my pattern of behavior.
Taking a different path did not change the source of my pain. Complaining about each step did not stop the pain of the steps I took. Although pain, I became comfortable in living in the discomfort. I didn’t want to embrace change, even if that momentary discomfort of change would lead to a longer time of pain pain free life.
Often times the thing that troubles you the most is the clearest thing in front of you to address. We simply choose to look past the obvious.
If you are looking at making a change, take the first step of changing something with yourself. Yiu May then find that the old worn shoes weren’t as faithful as you once believed.
Isaac Costley
