Saturday, March 8, 2008

"Liquidators"

My children are napping and I've had a long soak in the tub, and decided that I needed to do a little cleaning and reorganizing. So I began to go through all the little shoes here in the basket by the back door. There are way too many pairs for three little kids. So sorted and bagged they are, and we're less 18 shoes now. That's single shoes, not pairs. But it is nine pair, which is too many extra shoes to have, that do not fit. Especially since I'm the official "shoe picker upper" in this house.

Looking at all those shoes reminded me of when I was a child of twelve and was very aware of what everyone else in the world was wearing on their feet. They were wearing something that I wasn't, and something that my Mother wouldn't buy for me. Penny Loafers.

After what I'm sure was much harping and whining .... Mom finally decided that I could have a cool pair of Penny Loafers too, and off to "Liquidators" we went. Liquidators was a store in the small little Illinois town I grew up in. It was where my Mom shopped a LOT! Being only twelve, I didn't know the difference in stores, and Liquidators was just like the Ritz to me!

Only today (honestly) did I put two and two together, and only today it hit me like a ton of bricks, ... and only today did I realize that Liquidators was a "sell-out" store or "seconds" store.

It actually took me thirty-nine years to realize why my new "Fake Leather Gray Alligator Penny Loafers" didn't look like everyone Else's did when I was twelve years old, and it left me scarred me for life!

I vividly remember the day Mom bought those shoes for me. I was hard to deal with, mouthy, and wouldn't make a choice .... and she made the choice for me! It was a lesson learned .... but did she have to make me wear them to school? She did.

Be Blessed Everyone.