Big Shoes

Originally uploaded by laundrylessons.

A snapshot, one any mom would take, shows Graham full of glee, parading in his dad’s shoes. At four, Graham was a vivacious kid. His cowlick caused his hair to grow straight back from his forehead, as if a big wind was constantly blowing his way. He appeared to be in motion, or swirling to a stop, his forehead leading the way. Clomping around the house in the over-sized tennis shoes, made Graham’s eyes sparkle, as he realized it’s fun to fill someone else’s shoes.

Oprah interviewed Reba McEntire today. She asked if Reba would want to be anyone else. It’s funny when famous people are asked what else they’d rather be doing. I mean, by the nature of their stardom, don’t they have more choices? Oprah said results of a survey showed that people would rather be famous than intelligent. Hmm. If I could walk in anyone else’s shoes, would I?

Well, for a good part of my life I tried to walk in my parents shoes. They’re both strong role models who set high expectations and go to bed early. But at some point I realized that although I can arrange flowers like my mother and can understand people like my father, those shoes felt tight. Plus, I read until midnight.

I don’t think I’d want to wear say, Brooke Shield shoes. She’s my age and I always kind of figured if I was famous my career would look like hers. Plus in the eighth grade, when Brooke was on the cover of Teen Magazine, a boy named Eric thought I looked like her. I think it was the eyebrows. But, Brooke is as normal as any mom, fighting a horrid battle with postpartum depression. And now she has wrinkles just like me. She’s so tall that she probably wears like a size ten shoe, way too big for me.

Really, I don’t thing fame would be the shoe I’d try on. If I could go to the DSW of life (do you have DSW? My daughter calls it shoe Mecca.) I think I’d love to try on some gardening boots. A couple of weeks ago I finished Barbara Kingsolver’s book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Barbara and her family choose to grow their own food, everything, well except for coffee and some spices, for a year. Their lives changed as they realized the work they did on the farm meant something; work or starve. The picture she painted of this straightforward existence holds great appeal. No straps to slip or heels that get stuck in the mud.

What shoes would you try on?