Saturday, May 20, 2006

Mystery

A very good friend of mine has a little girl that she adopted out of the foster care system. Ellie was 2 weeks old when she came to live with Danielle. She was born into situation as different as humanly possible from the one she was about to move in to.

When Ellie was 3, she awoke crying hysterically one night. Wails of discontent echoed through the midnight stillness. Dani ran to comfort her and found Ellie crying, "zschoooos" "Zschooooooooooos!!", amidst unconsolable sobs.

Juice? Juice?
Waaaaaaaaaah!
Ellie? Do you want juice?
Nooooooo Mommyyyyyyy!
Then what honey? What do you need?

MOMMY!!!! I NEED SHOES! I NEED SHOES NOWWWWWWW!!!!!!!

Well.

If this isn't evidence for nurture over nature, I don't know what is. You may have to know my friend Danielle to know this for sure, but trust me. It is. As I am about to discuss, all women love shoes. But for Danielle, it is a love that transcends. A Holy love.

Honestly though.
What is it about shoes?
It seems to be this mysterious vortex that most certainly punctures through all levels of Time and Space, let alone culture and country. A place where a woman's deepest needs can be surely sated, if not completely met.

Shoes. Even the sound of the word soothes my weary mind.
Shoooooooes.
Ahhhh.



I went to DSW Shoe Warehouse today. It was a lazy, uncommitted Saturday afternoon. Much of the day had slipped away and I wanted to get out.

But where?

Then I felt the pull. Ladies, you KNOW what I mean.
The pull. The pulllllll.
And like Pavlov's Dog, it began. The mental salivation. The wonder of, "What will I find in the cornacopea of footware....?"

It's sandal season.

Beaded flats?
Thongs that fit just perfectly and will make my overworked hoofers squeel with delight?
The oh-so-cool heeled sandals made from the softest leather.... and 40%off?

BE. STILL. MY. HEART.

I was wandering down the first aisle as I found the first pair. Brown Born Sandals. I slipped them on my tired feet. Oh. Oh. Ohhhhhhh.
My first hit.

I realized that I was actually experiencing a high. My heart racing. My mind delighted and eagerly seeking the next find. Is this what a drug addict feels like? I make a further mental note never to try drugs, considering.

The store teamed with women. Really. It was probably about 100:5 as far as the female:male ratio went. Our eyes would meet with recognition, a wry smile of understanding. She has 3 pair, her.... 4. A nod of the head. We understood eachother.

I collected my own 4 pair of delicious, perfect, brown and black sandals and sauntered slowly to the counter. I sighed and metaphorically licked my lips and rubbed my sated shoe belly. All was perfect in the world.

So, my sisters. Here's to the mystery. The secret place, only we (and Carson Kressley and his brothers) can go.

I can't solve all of the worlds ails, and confusion wreaks havoc on our daily lives. I don't know how to meet the needs of everyone, all the time.

But. There is one thing I do know.

Shoes.
Shoes.
Shoes.

Ahhhhhhhh.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

again! whitney!
you made me laugh!
i love the way you write!

i think you have a great way of making your readers FEEL!

you have it!

xo
sheri

Anonymous said...

Whitney,

You should send this story to DSW. They have contests for shoe stories every month. You could win a shopping spree! Check it out at their website. www.dswshoe.com

Jena

Sid said...

I cannot tell you how many times I have nearly been run over adjacent to Nordstrom's shoe department. Always the same scenario - the woman sees the perfect pair and she immediately loses perception of everything else around her, focusing only on the direct line to that pair. I could be wearing my Brad Pitt mask and a Chippendale outfit and walk unmolested through that place.

Uh, as a guy am I really allowed to comment on this post?

Anonymous said...

Altho Whitney would have the final say, I think you can, Sid. I sense you are a little in touch with your feminine side. Otherwise why were you hanging out next to the shoes ....