A few days ago she was trying to figure out what shoes to buy. And she really didn’t know what she wanted. Just something new. Something different and exciting.

There were a lot of choices, so many it was really difficult to select. They were laid out side by side in pairs in the “previously worn” section of the store where she always shopped. You know, the one where you buy, or rent, a pair of shoes just for that one day.

So she tried the first section which contained rows and rows of fancy designer type shoes. Nothing like she normally wore.

A high heeled pair was really stunning. They shined and gleamed in the sunlight by the window, calling out to her and promising an exciting world. One in which adventure was just around every corner. They didn’t look like they’d been worn much; there weren’t many scuffs or scratches. The toes were pointed at a sharp angle, which would tend to make everyone take notice of the fashionable, yet probably painful, shoes she chose to wear for an evening of fun and laughter. Shoes to be noticed in, but which would cause her to pay a higher price later. Had they even been worn before? Or would she be the first?

Then there was a really funky-looking pair, in a mixture of bright colors…lime green, bright red, hot pink, and an unusual shade of yellow. They had an open toe in which she could show off her best pedicure, and a chunky heel that would make her appear taller, yet provide some support when she walked. Now they definitely would get her noticed, and she wondered if that’s what she really needed!? But what the heck! Her life could definitely use a bit of spicing up lately.

Moving along she saw a small collection of what was obviously wedding shoes, worn for only one day, and then discarded until someone else needed them. The shoes were amazing, with pearls and lace and shimmering rhinestones ( or maybe they were crystals?!) designed to perfectly match a stunning bridal gown. Some had spiky heels, some just a touch of a delicate heel with pearls on them as well. Shoes to definitely make her feel like a princess. Shoes which had definitely been worn only once to start the beginning of a beautiful new and happy life.

But were those what was she really looking for? And where would she wear them?

There was a pair of plain black pumps, with just the right heel, not too tall, and not real skinny. Comfortable looking, yet conservatively fashionable, something to be worn at an office when you were involved in an important meeting. Or maybe by an attorney looking to give a good impression on a jury. They looked safe, but certainly nothing that stood out or would be remembered. Just like so many of the ones she already had in her closet.

Why not try on each pair, she thought? And see what they feel like?

She tried on the first pair, the shiny high heeled ones. At first they fit well, but as she walked around they got tighter and tighter, hurting her toes and making her feet ache. She closed her eyes and saw herself wearing them at a magnificent party, the kind she only saw in her imagination, where she was in the middle of wealthy important people who quickly made her part of their group. But the longer she had them on, the more the party scenes around her changed to a mix of drunken men who wanted noting more than to grab her and drag her away to a private room.

No, those shoes were NOT for her!

The next ones were a bit difficult to get used to, and at first she had trouble walking in the tall chunky heels. She found herself in a much younger crowd than she was, and although she tried to fit in, no matter what she did, everyone around either ignored her or laughed at her, like they knew she didn’t belong there.

So those brightly colored shoes came off as well!

Surely the wedding shoes would be different. She selected a pair from a beautiful display and put them on, touching the white satin and making sure the pearls were all in place. She felt like a princess, and saw herself in an elegant gown, walking down the aisle to a vary handsome man. Her vision turned into a beautiful reception, dancing with her new husband, cutting their wedding cake, and then heading off to her honeymoon. Surely those shoes were the ones!

Until the scene changed to a few years later, as the shoes were thrown in a box to be discarded that dream marriage collapsed into a messy divorce. She sure didn’t need those!

So she pulled out the plain pumps in the next section. They fit perfectly and she immediately saw herself in charge of a division of a big company company, running meetings and giving presentations that the whole room applauded. “That’s so not me,” she thought.  But again neither were the other ones she’d tried.

She looked a bit further and found a pair of teal blue running shoes, her favorite color. Holding the pumps in her hand so no one else would get them, she tried on the running shoes and immediately saw herself on a path in the park, happily running and enjoying herself immensely. Feeling free. Perfect! She put them aside to buy as well.

After looking around some more, she found several more perfect pairs of shoes. What a great day it had been!

And as she was checking out she realized the shoes she was buying were ones she’d sold to that same store several months ago.

Funny how that works. We always think other people’s shoes are so much better to be in…until we have the chance to wear them for awhile.

Then we find out ours are just perfect…for us!