Pulling on my shoes this morning I grimace at the prominent “$3.99 GOODWILL” stickers on the inside of each; I can’t seem to peel them off, and they follow me wherever I go. Last week I went to a lovely home where removing shoes upon entering was standard protocol. I slipped mine off and lined them up in the hallway on those spotless bamboo floors and left them there to announce “USED SHOES! USED SHOES!” – those stickers like tiny neon billboards for any guest who happened by on their way to the bathroom.
I am not ashamed of the stickers in my shoes, but I still prefer to hide them. It feels vulnerable; surely, women of a certain age can afford new shoes? My footwear isn’t born from some noble decision to cut down the carbon footprint (I’m going to live in a Tiny House with Tiny Used Shoes!). Or some vintage, arty aesthetic (can you believe I got these for 3.99?). I have stickers in my shoes because work is hard to find, and college loans loom, and almonds cost a fortune.
I suspect we are all hiding stickers; poverty, mental illness and addiction are on the rise and still, we choose to look away, judge, or stay silent. I think if we started bearing our souls a bit more we’d all feel better. So please, relax and take your shoes off. You aren’t alone; there’s goodwill everywhere.
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