It's A SHOE

A month ago, I spent $120 on a pair of shoes.

The shoes are, of course, special running shoes, and I wear them every day for running, walking, and working out at the gym. In a few months, I'll need another pair as I notice the support fading away when I run. In every way, these shoes are an investment in my health and well-being.

Maybe I shouldn't judge...oh, to hell with it, Judgey McJudgerson here is going to judge the crap out of the nincompoops in the news today. People are getting violent and unruly over the latest Air Jordan shoe. A SHOE. Gunshots, muggings, near-riots as mall personnel stare, wide-eyed with fear at the frothing-at-the-mouth masses pushing into the stores. Over an extremely ugly shoe that is distantly endorsed by a former NBA legend...and also, according to my trainer, not a great athletic shoe to begin with.

But then, no one who rushed out, or who fought over, these shoes is really looking to land more jump shots or whatever it is basketball wannabes want to do--if they wanted that, they'd be on the court in their ratty old sneakers, practicing endless jump shots. No, what people want is the status of walking down the street with a shiny new pair of the latest Air Jordans on their feet--the envy of all in the neighborhood.


With tomorrow being Christmas Eve, it makes me a little bit bitter to think that this is where American priorities lie. Having spent a little time this week shopping, seeing people with shopping carts overflowing with stuff, stuff and more stuff, it's made me so grateful that my family doesn't really go in on the whole buy-buy-OMG BUY!!! mentality of the season anymore. Dad asked for no presents (so I have offered to archive some of his military documents and certificates in a scrapbook for safekeeping as my gift to him) and his big Christmas gesture this year was to go shopping at the base commissary for toilet paper, tissue, and food staples to give to a local rehabilitation home for women in our community. They were overjoyed to get the donation, and Dad felt good giving it. I bought a tiny little something for my niece and nephew, and a little something for my Mom.

I hope the people who pushed, shoved, and created chaos enjoy their shoes.