Ugly Shoes
Ugly Shoes
I hated my childhood shoes. Because of my surgery, I had to wear "old timer" shoes. They were high top leather shoes, and initially supported by metal braces that many polio victims wore. These metal braces were removed before I went to first grade, however, the newer versions were built up and had this Frankenstein look about them.
How I yearned to wear normal shoes. I saw kids with Keds, Hush Puppies and even sneakers. I was the only kid whose soles weren't "built up" to support my insole, and while other kids could have shoes of different colors, my shoes were always brown. I think one of the best days of my life was when the doctor said, "you can begin to wear normal shoes," but that wasn't until I was well into fifth grade.
I guess I always had a fascination with shoes, and in some ways I judged people by what kind of shoes they wore. But this changed, with an event that happened many years ago.
While in college, I used to pass by this student every day on my way to business classes. He may have been born with a physical defect. His face was misshapen, which years later makes me think he had the same disease as the Elephant Man. Every day I would pass by him, say "hi", he would never raise his head, and sometimes he would respond back with a very quiet "hi". This went on for quite some time, until one day I noticed something I had not observed before. As I uttered my customary "hi", I looked down at his feet. He had the best looking pair of shoes I had ever seen! It was then that I realized that in his world, he noticed everyone's shoes. In this world, his shoes were beautiful in comparison to other peoples; and by default, he became a "beautiful person."
I think about this person at times...and wondering whatever happened to him.
Story by Terry Smith