Love-Hate Relationship

Who doesn’t love something new?

Because something new usually means a celebration.

A birthday.

An anniversary.

A shower.

A graduation.

Because something new could also mean a change.

A move.

A job.

A trip.

A haircut.

Because something new might be necessary.

Like clothes for a growing child.

Like shoes because your current ones are about to fall off your feet.

Like a phone because your’s went swimming in the toilet.

Like a car because it’s either that or continue driving your Flintstone car.

Because something new usually comes from someone you love.

A friend.

A parent.

A family member.

A neighbor.

But new isn’t always better.

Like those new shoes you got because you got such bad athlete’s foot that your feet were rotting.

I mean look at them!

Classic gray and white.

And those cool blue and pink ones.

That new shoe smell.

They are perfect.

I love them!

But then I put them on.

No, my toes aren’t crammed into the end.

No, my arch support isn’t in my heel.

No, my arch support isn’t under the ball of my foot either.

No, the heel isn’t so short it slides right off. (Because yes, I tried on a shoe where this happened and all I did was stand in it.)

No, they aren’t too small so I could only get my toes inside.

So what is the problem? Where does the hate come in?

They are squeezing my feet beyond belief!

No matter how loose I tied them.

And it’s not like my feet are bulging out the sides or spilling over the edge.

I even got a 1/2 size bigger this time.

It’s like what I imagine a boa constrictor does to its prey.

I barely had enough shoelace left to tie!

So why such pain? Why such compression? Why are my feet starting to ache as I write this? Barely 10 minutes into having them on?

Because my old shoes were way past what I should be wearing.

They had been stretched into another size or two.

Every time this happens. Every time I buy new shoes, my feet are in agony.

And every time I tell myself that next time, I will buy new shoes before they get that loose.

And every time, I don’t.

So, the love-hate relationship will continue.