My Bio

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Which Way to the Yellow Brick Road?

Recently, I checked out a display in the window of a shoe store. Among the sandals, slides, and stiletto heels, I saw a pair of shoes that I think I might buy. The shoes didn't have pointed toes. That's good because I don't have pointed toes. The toes on the shoes were, well, sort of square. They reminded me of the toes on a pair of shoes that I bought when I was a college freshman.

In those days, I wasn’t very practical when it came to choosing my wardrobe. I wanted to wear whatever styles the fashion magazines dictated were “in.” Despite my advanced age of 18, I was still a regular reader of Seventeen magazine. Thanks to one of its ads and a display in an upscale store that I visited regularly, I coveted a pair of Capezio slippers—no, not ballet shoes, street shoes. They were fire-engine-red patent leather, and they had square toes.

Although my parents thought they were too trendy and too expensive, I managed to save enough out of my allowance to be able to buy the shoes before they went out of style. I thought wearing them would make me feel like a Seventeen model. Instead, I felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.