Canerdy, 2006I walked into my closet and with the exception of a few balls of dust and one black button, the floor was empty. My shoes, shoe rack and all, were gone. I couldn’t imagine what had occurred, how my shoes could have vanished, but they were gone, and I needed to decide how I’d go on without them. Would I need to walk through the city barefoot? It seemed a bit dangerous. I thought of all the cute pups out on walks relieving themselves. There wasn’t a shop in my immediate vicinity that would sell even a pair of cheap flip flops. Were barefoot people allowed to travel by bus? What would a cab driver think? If I tried to explain, people would think I was crazy. I considered the possibility, maybe I was crazy, and it might not be safe for a crazy person to go out seeking shoes. I went back to sleep, hoping my shoes would return.
I love the creative direction in your writing, simply, beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny the things we take for granted, like simply being able to walk around and not having others give us strange looks. I agree 100% with Dakota, your writing is simply wonderful and always different and surprising. I dream of having a book with text and photos from you to keep beside my bed.
ReplyDeleteWhat a clever story! I'm imagining that in the morning you spied a set of flip flops on your neighbors porch. You borrow them in order to get to a shoe shop. Upon returning to the porch you leave a small bunch of flowers with the flip flops. Your neighbor is bewildered and delighted...never quite knowing what happened.
ReplyDeletebeautifully written!
ReplyDelete... and whether or not a crazy person would be capable of determining how safe it would be to go out seeking shoes
ReplyDelete(^^)
ReplyDeleteyou are so good. made me smile.
Dakota, Thank you.
ReplyDeleteEmily Vanessa, You make me smile.
alexandria, I adore your Part II. Fabulous.
Anne, Thanks.
Mise, But when it's all you've got...
coco, Oh, good. I enjoy making smiles.
ReplyDeletea nightmare! but i'm smiling??? thanks.
ReplyDeleteAnd were they? Back in the closet when you woke up?
ReplyDeleteOr am I dreaming you wrote this?
xo Jane
:)
ReplyDeletei sleepwalk sometimes, and tend to move things like small pieces of furniture and clothes and kitchen things...so i've woken up just this perplexed on more than one occasion.
but it's prettier when you write/dream it.
what a fascinating, beautifully written snippet.
ReplyDeleteRandom dreams are always curious.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't that be strange and bewildering?
ReplyDeleteIt makes me think of all the people in the world without shoes...on vacation once I befriended a family of 6 children who didn't...
Fascinating - what would Dr Freud make of this? I have been having very surreal and vivid dreams for the last week or so too...could it be the moon? And, lovely photo; I love the bright, almost white-out effect.
ReplyDeleteYou always make me think. Always something good here. xo
ReplyDelete:)
ReplyDeleteInteresting dilemma. Will you write a part two?
ReplyDeleteoh! the part about pups relieving themselves on the footpath had never occurred to me....! It is odd how shoe-less people are 'judged' by others...and I wonder what lead your subconscious to have this dream....hmmm
ReplyDeleteDreams without shoes. I like your version.
ReplyDeleteI have shoeless dreams too - reoccurring and very distressing.
Dreams! I love them. I think they always have something helpful for us. I love you for sharing it with us. Thank you.
ReplyDeletea very horrid story for someone with deep love for her shoes... maybe that was the reason i left on my favorite shoes when i went to sleep as a little girl - it would have been devastating if they had left without me at night...
ReplyDeleteI love the gauzy photograph you paired with this piece.
ReplyDeletedelightful read. there have been times when that was the only solution--stop one dream and hope to get it worked out in the next.
maybe your subconscious took them? if so, she was so right in doing so... summer should always be barefoot!
ReplyDeleteIntriguing story :) Perhaps next you will be swimming through treacherous seas of shoes!
ReplyDeletewhat a fun writing :)
ReplyDeleteI love this…..am rather prone to walking barefoot whenever possible and have pretty manky feet!
ReplyDeleteRemember Adam? He never wore shoes.
ReplyDeleteYou know... I heard that there was some freaky alien with a shoe fetish zooming around the Washington area in her spaceship, beaming up all the cool ladies' shoes. So sorry to hear that she nabbed yours, too. Maybe you could take it as a backhanded compliment? ;)
ReplyDeleteha, that's funny - will you continue with this story?
ReplyDeletethis sure reminds me of a roommate i once shared a house with. she walked the earth in a blazing red hairdo, and barefoot. summer. winter.
ReplyDeletei forever gazed at those feet of her. they looked normal too.
we've lost touched. maybe i should write her.
we still do, occasionally.
n♥
Melissa, You are welcome.
ReplyDeleteJane, They returned.
Pen and Paperie, Wow. Do you ever leave the house?
Liz, Thanks!
Michele, Oh yes.
Joyti, I wonder if those children ever had shoes and if not, did they miss them.
Nancy, I too wonder what Freud would make of this dream.
Lecia, Thank you. You definitely do the same for me.
[sen.siˈʝes], : )
Rachael, I like what alexandria wrote as part two.
Annie, I had shoe shopped recently, perhaps my dream was telling me I was wasting too much time on such tasks.
Janis, I think this was my first. It's the first I recall. I wonder if there will be more.
life without mathematics, I guess this one was telling me not to forget what I can live without.
WSAKE, So cute, a little girl refusing to part with her shoes.
nancy(at good food matters), Thank you. This photograph brings back good memories, nothing to do with closets, it was more about summers and river and porches, but it still felt dreamy to me.
Amelia, Barefoot is nice. I am in Grass Valley right now and barefoot is fine up here at the table, in the shade, but I do need my sandals to walk on the hot sidewalk below.
Nix, A sea of shoes -- yikes.
M., Thank you.
suzie, I'm barefoot as I type this note.
Anonymous, Yes! I loved Adam.
Beth, Yes, a compliment. I'll take it.
hila, I think alexandria covered it for me.
n, Great description. Yes, write her.