A million years ago when Shani and I were shopping for my wedding dress, she taught me an important lesson: ignore the size. "Just try it on," she urged. So, I did. And walked away from The Gap with a dress that wasn't my size. She's pretty smart, that Shani.
What's this got to do with anything? Well, for years and years I've tried to like Converse. They were so cool! I remember when I was 18 I had a pair of green on green Chucks that I bought from that old Liberty House store in what is now considered Downtown Pearlridge. They were beautiful. I had a pair of One Stars, too. Black. And I must have worn both pairs no more than ten times total before I got rid of them. My enormous, wide feet just weren't meant for the narrow confines of Converse, I concluded, and never bought another pair since.
A few years ago, a coworker gave Lucy a pair of pure black Chuck Taylors, which we both claimed to hate. Lucy has big feet, too, and so we can share shoes every now and then. Anyway, she started off saying she hated them, but then I'd see them on her feet all the time.
I almost didn't take these Converse from my friend. I don't like them, remember? They don't fit my feet right, remember? But I went back for them. And maybe (or obviously) their size makes them comfortable. Maybe (obviously?) if they were the right size, they'd be unwearably painful. I feel a little silly sometimes because my feet look even larger/longer than they really are, but I don't care too much about looking silly, and I really like relieving people of the treasures they no longer want or need.
So this was a good lesson. I remembered to approach old things in new ways, and that things change so I have to change, even if temporarily. In fact, I don't even HAVE to change, I can just test the waters every now and then. Revisit the things I don't like or remind myself why I like or think something.
