Putting My Foot Down

Change is inevitable, sort of like nose hair. One must do their best to accept it, lest they be left behind in this fast-paced world of ours. However, sometimes you just have to put your foot down.

I had a system. It was a good system. It was an easy system. But change has destroyed this system, and I don’t know where to turn.

You see, Target used to sell cheap white cross-trainers. They weren’t necessarily the most durable shoes out there, hence the low price, but they were low-key, simple, and most importantly, at least based on my tastes, normal. They weren’t “hip”. They weren’t “cool”. The only statement they made was this: "These shoes are bland and uninteresting, but at least they aren’t trying too hard." That’s sort of the motto I live my life by, and my shoes need to reflect it.

My system was simple. Every year I’d buy a new pair of these shoes from Target to take over the role of Main Shoes. The pair I’d been wearing, my current Main Shoes, would be relegated to Backup Shoes, used for emergencies and dirty jobs, such as playing football or splashing in puddles. My current Backup Shoes, which had been my Main Shoes the previous cycle, would be thrown out, after a brief ceremony acknowledging their two fine years of service.

As I said, it was a good system.

But then Target quit selling these shoes. At first I didn’t believe it. (Or I didn’t want to believe it.) I figured they’d show up on the shelves eventually, and I returned several times, but they never did. Only trendy, popular shoes, which I hate with a passion, were available. I even checked a different Target, but no dice. They were gone.

And so, my system is broken and the clock's running. My current Main Shoes should have become my Backup Shoes months ago, but they’ve been forced to stay in their current role. This is bad. They’re dirty and wearing thin. Just last week one of the laces began to fray. My Backup Shoes, which should be in a dumpster, are basically dissolving, and I’m pretty much afraid to wear them anywhere, since there’s a good chance they’d leave me stranded in my stocking feet.

You’re probably saying, “So go to a different store!” I hear you. It makes sense. However, I just don’t want to. I like my system. It took me about a half minute to find new shoes. If I abandoned the system, I’d have to find a different shoe store, go into it, look around, try to find the closest thing possible to what I’ve been buying, try them on, test them out, and finally purchase them. Ugh. That’s a lot of work. Even worse, that’s only a best case scenario! I might have to try on multiple pairs of shoes before I found what I like! Just thinking about it makes we want to curl up into a ball and cry.

I’ve adapted to change many times in my life, and I’ll continue to do so for the rest of my life. But I can’t give in every time. I can’t be a pushover. I can’t let change hold me in an iron grip of conformity, and so I’m putting my poorly shod foot down. I’m not going to do it! I’m buying my shoes from Target, and nowhere else!

Unfortunately, I have a feeling this isn’t going to end well. Most likely, Target will never sell these shoes again, and I’ll be eventually faced with a decision: I’ll have to go barefoot for the rest of my life, or I’ll have to give in, abandon my principles, and let change win. I see no other alternative. Unless the duct tape shoes I’ve been working on pan out