Are they old shoes, or memories waiting to be unearthed?

Are they old shoes, or memories waiting to be unearthed(ˌənˈərTH)?

By Barbara Robertson

My grandmother’s shoes were black with four eyelets(ˈīlit) and a one-inch(inCH) stacked(stakt) leather(ˈleT͟Hər) heel(hēl). Orthopedic(ˈˌɔrθəˈpidɪk) shoes for old, bone(bōn) tired feet – these were my Granny(ˈgranē) B’s shoes. She detested(diˈtest) buying them, wore them begrudgingly(biˈgrəj) and looked pained(pānd) every time she put them on over her thick(THik), brown(broun)-pressure(ˈpreSHər) stockings. At day’s end, she would undo the laces(lās) and pry(prī) her swollen feet and legs out of both shoes and stockings, relieved(riˈlēvd) to have both out of her sight.

“Barbara” she would sigh(sī), rolling her feet on a yellow tin(tin) of Habitant(ˈhabitənt,ˈhabətnt) pea(pē) soup(so͞op), “take care of your feet, you need them, even at my age. Make sure your shoes fit. Don’t wear high heels unless the occasion(əˈkāZHən) calls for it, otherwise, you will be like me. Bunions(ˈbənyən) and corns(kôrn), wishing these feet didn’t need to take you anywhere and some mornings wishing they still could.” I would nod(näd), only partly listening and usually out of obligation(ˌäbliˈgāSHən). We would be in the living room: she in the La-Z-Boy with the orange flower pattern(ˈpatərn), and I, perched(pərCH) on the gold sofa(ˈsōfə) under the front(frənt) window, usually with my nose(nōz) in a book. I was 17, she was 89.

Marilyn Monroe was right when she said that with the right shoes, you can conquer(ˈkäNGkər) the world.

…

Shoes are memories, advice and often polished(ˈpäliSHt) with care and worn with pride(prīd). Shoes are fashionable(ˈfaSH(ə)nəbəl), practical(ˈpraktikəl) and powerful. Some shoes are too dear to abandon(əˈbandən), others are too loud(loud) to keep.

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