Posts Tagged ‘Sole Sisters Film’
Look At Sydney Now
Sydney Smith
These are my brother’s boots. I didn’t really know where they came from, but they reminded me of the old doc martins we wore back in the day. We both wore the old ox blood docs and listened to only the most hardcore punk bands. The soles on these boots however were completely flat; no heel. I grabbed them along with several other items from his apartment; a bible, a blanket, and a video tape with his writing “Western Conference Championships.”
My sister Holly called me at work on June 14th 2004. My birthday was the day before and I’d not received my customary call from my brother or my father wishing me a happy birthday. My sister’s call was unintelligible; in the background was chaos. My sister’s voice told me “Sydney, I’m so sorry to tell you this – but Dan is dead.” My brain kept hearing “Dad is dead.” My mother grabbed the phone from my sister and repeated the words “Dan is dead. There is no hope.”
My little brother’s name was Dan Zachariah Chavez. He was above all my protection. He had a thick mop of dark brown hair, light green eyes and the skin tone of my Spanish mother. In a word he was beautiful. But most of all he had a tender heart, and he was fiercely loyal and extremely protective of me. Despite being my younger brother he towered over me. We were 17 months apart. For years we were exactly the same height and everyone thought we were twins until he finally passed me up.
Our parents divorced when I was 19 and Dan was 18. We stayed together and got our own apartment and watched over one another. On my watch I cared for him along with several others kids our age. It wasn’t long that our nights of parties took a very dark turn and I found myself taking care of 4 drug addicts. The youngest, George being 14, Scott was 16, Dan was 18, and Jay was 19. Never in my life would I have imagined that my brother would put a needle in his arm. Yet I didn’t stop him.
My sisters and mother cleaned out his apartment and tried to piece together what happened. We grew up in an upper middle class family but we all struggled with our own issues. For years Dan was a very successful person. He moved away and went to live in another state. He cleaned himself up and for years would remain on the right path, but every so often when things would go wrong he would binge. It was one of these binges that took his life 7 years ago.
What I have learned is to live in the midst of death and my one goal is to share that you have to keep going even when you don’t think you can take another step. I compare death to having a part of your body amputated. You are expected to learn how to live without that part of you. I wanted the world to stop for just one moment and to listen to what I needed to say, “My brother who I love with all of my heart has just died. Now my life will never be the same.”
However I got back to work and silently grieved on my own raising two daughters. What I found was that others were praying for me and in my darkest hour I found solace and peace. My brother visited me in my dreams. So vivid were my dreams that I felt his love, his concern, and even him telling me to care for our other sister who also struggles with drugs and alcohol. His gift to me was our memories. From his crazy inventions that were way before our time to our reenactments of Saturday morning WWF wrestling—which is where his boots come in.
After Dan moved away he had the crazy idea of becoming a professional wrestler.
He attended a camp in Denver, adopted a persona and for a short time enjoyed a semi- professional career as Dartanian. The video tape I found in his apartment is of a match he was in. It is all I have left that shows his smile and his larger than life personality, and I am so grateful I have that. In it he is wearing the boots—his wrestling boots.
Afterwards, when my father and I would speak of Dan, he would tell me how much my brother loved me. Fondly recalling Dan’s phone calls saying, “Well guess what Sydney is doing now…”
I think about him every day and I thank God for the short time He gave him to me. I am the only one out of the gang of 5 that made it out. George died of an overdose at the age of 21, Dan died at 33, Scott and Jay still struggle with their addictions. I survived my teens and have two beautiful daughters as my reward. I share my story with those who have lost a loved one and to tell them to persevere even when they think they can’t go on.
Several years ago I heard a story on NPR about a group of girls in Austin who were reviving Roller Derby. I thought to myself, “I could do that.” I was in school and kept telling myself, “As soon as I graduate I’m gonna do that.” And so I did.
I am one of the oldest women in my league of over 100 women. I have made life long friends with women I know will sit next to me when we are old and recount the endless stories that only another derby girl could understand. I have found a second family and they in turn have held me up when I could not do it on my own. For that I am eternally thankful. I have found that if you are human that pain is inevitable. I have tried to comfort my own sisters in derby who have been hit with cancer, lost mothers, fathers, suffered miscarriages—which has made me realize my reason for being a part of this family.
I have since lost my father and my children’s father, yet I keep putting one foot in front of the other. On game days in the locker room I pray for every one of my teammates without their knowledge. And every time I lace up my skates and skate out in front of the crowds and hear my name over the speaker I know my brother and father have a front row seat and I think to myself, “Well look at what Sydney is doing now.”
HAZEL’S SHOE
Anne Buckley
My late mother-in-law, Hazel Buckley, was a delicate yet very determined woman who married a bright young man that blew into Oklahoma from Pennsylvania in the mid-1900’s and swept her off her feet. Just as they set up housekeeping he was whisked off to Europe to fight the Kaiser with an Oklahoma Machine Gun Company.
Undaunted by this unwarranted abandonment Hazel began teaching “expression,” an early form of drama in rural Oklahoma, and survived the war years urging the young ‘uns of Oklahoma to “speak from the diaphragm and stand up straight when reciting.”
News of the Armistice sent Hazel shopping for an exceptional frock to wear when she welcomed her warrior home. She wanted to knock his eyes out with her outfit and bought a grey silk dress, a pair of grey peau de soir pumps with beaded buckles and a saucy hat. She spent her hard earned money in order to look dazzling to her war weary husband. When Jim Buckley returned from the war and got off the train in Tulsa in 1918, he saw his stylish wife and knew he was one lucky dough boy. She looked like a million dollars.
They had many happy years together and were pleased when I married their son Jim. He was in the oil and gas business and moved us to several interesting places in the oil patch until he died. The children and I returned to Dallas and shared many happy times their grandparents. We kept many of their favorite things in a cedar chest after they passed away.
One day I opened the cedar chest and stumbled upon Hazel’s fine peau de soir shoes.I’d forgotten about them and couldn’t believe one shoe was still in good condition with its beaded buckle still in place. It dawned on me there was a sweet story in its sole that needed to be told.
I asked a designer friend of mine to” dress” the shoe in the best finery available. Here is Hazel’s shoe, and as it sits on my bedside table I hear its message that urges us to put our best foot forward, make the best of what ever circumstances surround us and remember that beauty can be found in the most unusual things.
My Brand-new Shoes
By Mary Olivia Patiño
My shoes were brand-new, until the day I wore them. Navy blue, with low heels, just right for a professional job interview – or so I thought. A few days before, while visiting my mom, I spilled it out “Mamí, tengo que comprar unos zapatos nuevos, porque tengo que vistirme bien. Me voy a entrevistar para una posición de maestra.” Saying this, I was a little nervous. I still remembered the moment, many years before when my mother told me “Tu no estás para ser maestra.” “You are not cut out to be a teacher.” This sure was a low punch to my self-esteem as a young woman about to enter college, with dreams of being a teacher.
The second reason I was nervous was because I was going for a job interview, while I still had a job. The interview was to take place at the location where I worked. Arranged by one of the administrative staff, I was to meet a representative of an all girls’ school in El Paso. So, if accepted, I would relocate and move away from my lifelong base of support, my family!
As Mamí and I pored over several boxes of her shoes, I selected the right one for the clothes I wanted to wear to appear ‘professional’: a pair of lovely brand-name navy blue shoes. “Nunca lo he usado,” says Mamí. “I’ve never worn them. They are brand-new.” My mom assured me. I was happy! Wearing the same size shoes was great.
The fateful day arrived with a glorious spring air. Everything seemed new with the promise that a crisp morning brings. As I waited in the beautiful office across a large desk, I soaked in the familiar oak trees and fragrant flowers through the large windows. In the brief moments before the Assistant Principal walked in, I reminisced. Why was I filled with wanderlust and seeking a new position?
She sat across from me, an attractive, friendly woman from the School of Loretto in El Paso. The interview went well. While chatting and responding to her questions, I remembered to sit up straight, with my feet firmly on the floor, just like a ‘lady’. However, being only 4’11”, my feet don’t always reach the ground, even when sitting. So, at one point, I crossed my legs with my feet dangling a bit in the air.
A few minutes later, the interview finished, I inhaled a deep breath of relief and started back to my own office. Just as I stepped outside the door, I noticed something strange with my shoes. One shoe kept ‘flapping’. It was hard to walk with my pride intact until I reached my office. There, I took a good look at my shoes. One of the soles was almost clean off the shoe! “Oh, no! These were brand-new shoes!”
Embarrassed.
“Mother!” I gasped into the phone, telling her what happened. “No! No puede ser. That can’t be. They were new. I never wore them.” “How long, Mother! How long did you have them in the closet?”
I did not get the job. I stayed in my beloved San Antonio. I remained a ‘teacher’ for adults. Irony? Don’t let anyone discourage you. I also decided to throw away any shoes in my closet that had not seen the light of day or a floor in a long time.
And you know what? I am so grateful to my Mamí. She tried her best, as on many occasions before. Just maybe, because of her, I remained in town, close to my family, where I always want to be. And, consequently, because of that incident, I always check out my ‘soles’ with every new venture I undertake.
A Lost Sole
By: Lan
Earlier today, I went with Cynthia and a few of the SOLE SISTERS team to the Senior Source to collect stories. Being fluent in Vietnamese, I was asked to translate any interviews or stories that came along from the Vietnamese seniors. The lady, Xuan, was a very gentle and petite woman who chose her words carefully and had an air of grace about her that had me sitting up just a little bit straighter. But I could see a spark in her eyes, which grew brighter as the interview progressed, that gave me a glimpse of the feisty woman that she once was in her younger years. The young woman who left behind her job as a teacher and came over to the States, working at a hotel to get by. The very first shoes that she bought here after saving up, were a pair of high heels. She loved high heels because they made her taller and they were fun and exciting. She said that the shoes here were more durable than the sandals that she wore in Vietnam – she loved them.
Growing up, my mother always told my sister and me stories of her childhood in Vietnam. Her family left the country in ’75 and it was their journey overseas to the States that has stayed with me all these years. Their departure was quick, leaving very little time for packing personal possessions. Somewhere over the ocean, on their way to the Philippines, my grandfather tossed a suitcase full of money and family trinkets over the side of the boat. At this point in the story, I always had to ask why? She said it was because in that moment, having been forced to flee the only home he had ever known and heading towards a future so distant and foreign, he saw no value in money, or toys, or jewels – there would be no reason to bring them. So this was how I always pictured the people of my country leaving – hundreds of boats bobbing amidst the waves, floating through a sea of memories left behind and lost to the waters forever.
After growing up watching my grandfather become more and more bitter about the years spent away from his beloved country, I never even gave a second thought towards what the Vietnamese people might have discovered in their new lives. I focused on the things that were left behind – favorite shoes, lucky trinkets, shiny rings – thinking that things left behind are things that are lost forever. I almost missed the things that my people found here to move forward with; the new lives that they forged in memory of the ones left behind on the shores of Vietnam.
Somewhere down the road, lost soles are replaced by new soles – but there are never any forgotten soles.
Xuan Pham with Lan
Sole Searching
By: Judy Dedmon Coyle
Find this article, and the rest of Judy’s Little Black Shoe adventures here!
LBS home again
Our friend and Good News Girl, Cynthia Salzman Mondell, asked me to write about how I feel about my travels with the Little Black Shoe. She’s hard at work on a documentary film called Sole Sisters about women and their relationships with their shoes, and it makes sense that she’d inquire. I’ve said a lot so far about the shoes and how they perform and how my feet feel, but very little about any emotion they evoked.
He played Yellow Rose of Texas for me
How I feel is liberated. To travel for almost a month with a pair of sneakers and one pair of shoes is new for me. My niece once took a trip around the world with only a pair of flip-flops, but I have old feet with issues. This is the first trip I’ve taken in years with fewer than four pairs of shoes. Previous attempts to travel without sneakers have ended badly: Blisters, sore toes, aching feet, legs and ankles, and once, a broken foot.
The result of my exercise is not that in the future I will travel with one pair of shoes because I can, it’s that if I travel with four pairs of shoes, one pair need not be sneakers. Big boxy sneakers suck up suitcase space even when stuffed with socks and vitamin jars. Merrell’s Barefoot shoe is tiny, light, and wedgeable, leaving room for cute flats and a great pair of platform sandals.
I learned a fair amount about the LBS in our time together. I find them most comfortable for hikes and long walks with a medium sport sock. They’re fine without socks for strolling, shopping, traveling, and driving. Socks keep them dry in the rain, warm when it’s cold, and, surprisingly, cooler in steamy weather. Sponge them down if they get muddy and they’ll look new again. Lightweight and compact enough to slip into your handbag to wear if your heels start feeling too high.
It’s a good shoe and one I’ve enjoyed testing. I plan to take them on my next trip to push just a little harder and see what else they can do.
LBS on beach at St-Malo
Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves!
Last week at Alley’s House, where I conduct a weekly journal workshop with teenage mothers, they talked about celebrating the positive outcomes in their lives despite the many obstacles they have faced. They have been struggling with a lack of support from their friends and family members as they attempt to continue with their Alley’s Program to finish their GEDs. I asked the girls to write about something they have recently accomplished and to pick out a shoe that best describes their experience.
This exercise allowed them to evaluate their achievements in light of their struggles and encouraged them to persevere.
Here is what they wrote:
Timesha Fisher
I’ve been feeling all over the place lately! Feeling like I have on my running shoes but that’s ok. I’m going to strap them up and start my journey. I recently started new job, and am very proud about it! I am upset that it is temporary but the way I see it, it is better than nothing at all. I feel like I am getting somewhere, whereas before, I would simply stop trying. That is why I am a running shoe. I have too many things to accomplish. I can’t give up. I won’t. I refuse to!
Alley's House
Emerald Cipriano
I have accomplished distancing myself from my baby daddy and all the drama he brings. I strapped my boots on and kicked butt in the battle of drama. Since I have less stress and don’t have to worry about what he say’s or does. I have less stress and I don’t have to worry about what he says or does. I ignored him and the stupidity that he does and when people around me bring him up, I say “I don’t care, I have moved on”. So now me and my kids are happier and can now enjoy the time we spend together. Besides I am their supper woman cause my strength is never ending for my children, so when they fall I am always there to make them feel better.
Check out the video below to see the lovely ladies in action and tell us what shoe best describes you and your accomplishments!
Alleys House
Young Idea Sparks Hope for All Ages
Keepsakes of her mother
Rebecca Young, from Austin, TX, shares with SOLE SISTERS her multi-faceted love of shoes. “Shoes make me feel feminine, ladylike, and sexy. My love for shoes manifested into an impressive collection of over 100 pairs, with many still brand new and in their original box.” Love for beautiful shoes stems from love for the people wearing them – in Rebecca’s case, it was her mother. Her mother passed away when Rebecca was only 5 years old, leaving behind her shoes. “My aunts saved them for me. I so value these shoes, and I understand even more about how our shoes are more than an accessory.”
What happened that made you want to design your own shoes?
The nightmare started about 14 years ago when routine a bunion surgery performed on my left foot went terribly wrong. Thereafter, every step I took sent waves of extreme pain across the ball of my foot. Five corrective surgeries helped to lessen the discomfort, but could not repair the damage, loss of blood flow, bone marrow and cartilage, along with advanced arthritis. Much of my time was spent at home healing and talking to the foot daily, soon naming it Flipper. Flipper now requires a larger shoe than the right and as a result, I have spent a lot of money on custom-made orthotics – some costing more than my Taryn Rose shoes.
Let me paint this picture for you: I wear business suits on a daily basis. I used to coordinate them with dress shoes and cute heels of varying textures, materials, patterns, and prints. Now, in comparison, these orthotics are not that stylish and have even caused some people to do a double take!
Sole to Soul Sisters (girlfriends) were my saviors. Through a rotating schedule, they have taken care of me by grocery shopping, cooking, doing the laundry and running errands. They held my hand through trying moments, aided me up and down stairs when “no weight bearing” was an obligation, and located an electronic scooter to give me a sense of independence when I was finally able to return to work.
When you couldn’t wear the shoes in your closet any longer how did you feel?
I have a closet full of feminine shoes that I can no longer wear. Not only has this impacted my morale, but daily attire also. The slacks and pants that once fit beautifully have since been hemmed by a number of inches – not an inexpensive affair. Having stopped exercising due to the surgeries and constant discomfort in the ball of Flipper the Foot, this inevitably led to weight gain – pants, skirts and even shirts have become terribly uncomfortable. So now, when I look into my closet not only am I unable to wear over 100 pairs of shoes, I can also no longer wear my everyday clothes.
How Oprah inspired me
Some years ago I came across the Vocation Vacation in an Oprah magazine and cut out the article for keep sake. After talking with a friend, I finally decided to check out the website where I soon discovered that there was a Vocation Vacation for shoe designing – I couldn’t believe it! It was then that I began looking into designing my own shoes, so here I am. I’m only 40 years old – I should have the rest of my time ahead to work, play and enjoy this wonderful life.
How was the experience studying with Tamera?
Rebecca (right) with Tamera Lyndsay of The Shoe College
Life changing! Tamera is amazing! She is a fabulous designer, who is so personable and giving that she broke down all the steps into easy to follow instructions. I gained hands-on experience in cutting, creating and inserting eyelets, screwing in heels and making patterns – it was amazing. Tamera showed me that it is possible to create my own shoes, but as with anything, it will require practice to find my own unique style and identity. She also showed me that you do not have to go broke while practicing – fantastic hints and tips! She discussed marketing, packaging, day-to-day operations, finding my niche, goals to consider, relationships with manufactures and suppliers, AND she will respond to my email inquiries after I return home to provide support and encouragement.
Where are you going with it?
I have met with numerous women who also have foot problems and the consensus is the same: “I wish I could find some comfortable stylish shoes”. I found inspiration in what these women were saying and was determined to find a solution. Since returning home to Austin, I have begun to experiment, shop, locate supplies, and set up a workshop in my living room. I have my sister’s sewing machine and though I don’t know how to use it, my first sewing class is sometime next week! I have started attending conferences and meetings for entrepreneurs and startups, as well as researching all the brand names of shoes that DO accommodate orthotics. I have a couple of doctors showing a lot of interest in investing, and they now follow up with me to ask how the “shoe biz” is going.
A new step forward
Rebecca and Flipper flying home!
On the plane returning to Austin, Texas, I realized I had a permanent smile on my face, full of joy and life. I kept smiling and have been smiling ever since. So I ordered a beverage and told Mike (my seat neighbor) my story. Mike is retired and thought that was awesome, he even took a picture of Flipper looking out the airplane window! Well our interaction caught the attention of the flight attendant, who finally came and inquired as to what we were celebrating, so I told her what I did and was going to do. Before the plane landed she came by took my credit card, swiped it, then while smiling shared “I only charged you for one Bev” she then gave me a SW Airlines napkin with her name and email address on it and said ”I would love to see your shoe designs, our feet always hurt us in this job!” Mike stated, “You just got a customer!”
Love Letter to Shoes
Pam Barnes
Dear Beloved High Heels,
For as long I can remember, I have loved you. Actually, it was love at first sight when I first saw you hanging in the toy section rack when I was about three years old. I was SO fascinated with those baby pink plastic heels with the flowers glued on top, and I grabbed you and asked my parents to PLEASE buy you, and I was SO very happy as you rode home with me in my lap! I kept peering in the bag at you, as I could barely wait to get home to rip you out of the package and slip you on my feet! I remember clacking around the house on those hardwood floors pushing my baby doll stroller, pretending to be a real mommy. You and I spent so much quality time together everyday, and eventually I got you in different colors, and even learned to put you on the right foot without any help.
As time passed, I got a real pair of you in patent leather each Easter to match my dress, and my love for you continued to grow. You continued with me through my teenage years….and your heel became a bit higher, and I even became better in walking more lady-like in you. Your escorted me to my proms and school dances, and even helped me to get in the house at night when it was way past my curfew. Your suggestion to take you off and carry you to my bedroom was such a great idea!
You celebrated with me at both my high school and college graduation, to include my wedding, and didn’t get upset with me when I took you off and placed you in corner, as I returned to the dance floor. You patiently waited for me until I picked you up and we drove home together.
You have continued to be with me over the years…..being with me through the thick and the thin. You always lift me up when I am down (no pun intended), you have given me the confidence to walk into a room full of strangers alone and allow me to demand the room, and still today when I cross my legs and look down at you, my heart skips a beat! As with any relationship there have been sometimes that you have hurt me, yet I have learned to carefully select when and where I wear you now to avoid that pain again.
I am SO proud of you when I open up my closet each day and see you in various styles, brands, shapes, and colors, and you are so spontaneous…always ready to accompany me anywhere (as I think it’s because of the compliments you always get)…..you’re such a charmer!
I know I do not tell you as often as I should, but I DO love you with all my heart, mind and soul. I look forward to many more sunrises and sunsets with you, and although we have been together for years, I feel completely assured that the best is yet to come!
Loving You Always…..and Forever,
Pam
Sole Journals
In a recent visit to Alley’s House, for a writing workshop that happens weekly, the young women and I were talking about their previous shoe writing assignment. It was during this discussion that the feelings they uncovered in their writing was so deeply embedded that tears began to fall, words began to echo and past wounds began to heal. I believe this is what they call a “break through” in counseling. After one participant read her touching story another volunteered and another and another until they all had shared a piece of their sole, tears and past. Every week they write about their struggles as teen mothers concerning their shoes-where their shoes have been, what it is like to walk in their shoes and where their shoes are going.
Below is an excerpt from one of their journal entries:
With life comes happiness and sorrow. I believe the biggest challenges are how you deal with the pain and sorrow. I have had many challenges in my life but the biggest has been being a young mother. I became a mother and woman it seems overnight.
At age 17, I had to face these challenges alone. Just as my shoestrings hold my shoe down I too have strings that tie me down. Negative people are my shoe strings, they constantly bring me down. It’s like the saying” misery loves company”, that is so true. You need positive and motivational to encourage you in life. I never really had that in my life.
Even my own family puts me down and criticizes me when I try to better myself and finish my degree. They have never done anything like this and tell me I am wasting my time. The shoe strings in my life are trying to overcome my many challenges while having people who don’t support me. But despite all of the negativity, just like any shoe has a sole, the base of my foundation is my son. My life changed after his birth making me a mother instantly. I plan to be there for him so he can grow into a great young man and father one day. I never really knew what unconditional love exactly felt like until he was born.
I found faith in God, after my son Michael was born. I soon realized God was the only person that I could rely on and trust in my most difficult times. I now walk strong knowing that despite all the strings that hold me back are nothing compared to the strength that I get from the soles of my shoes which is my son, my whole reason for living and fighting!
Contest Runner Up-Newlywed But Never Worn
Vivian Castleberry
I’ve always been a shoe person. Take me into any store to shop for anything and chances are whatever else I come away with, I will come out with a new pair of shoes.
The shoe fetish goes back to my early childhood. From about the age of 2 when I first began to walk well, my toes tended to move inward and my ankles not to support the outward thrust no matter what my mother tried to do to correct what she saw as a problem for her oldest child. She took me to the doctor, a kindly gentleman who hadn’t the slightest idea about pediatrics and he agreed with Mother that my ankles were weak. He said I should wear high-topped lace-up shoes.
How I hated those shoes. I remember those cold winter mornings in the raw West Texas town of Memphis, in the Texas Panhandle when I would get dressed for school and lag until the last moment lacing up, as tightly as possible, those ugly high-topped shoes before going off to first grade.
I made up my mind then and there that if I ever grew up to make my own decisions and had my own money I would wear the wildest, most exotic, highest-heeled shoes I could find.
Time went on. I was 14 and back in East Texas in the land of my birth. My father, who almost never paid any attention to what I wore, took me on a rare—very rare—trip with him to the Henderson County Seat town of Athens. I do not recall what special circumstances precipitated this father-daughter excursion, but I do remember that Mother told my dad that I needed a good pair of “Sunday” shoes and that if he found something suitable, he should buy them. Dad took me to the local J.C.Penney and there my eyes landed on the most beautiful pair of shoes I had ever seen in my life. They were royal blue. Suede. Two-inch heels. Yes, blue suede shoes! I was entranced! My skeptical father, persuaded with smiles and tears, acquiesced. He bought the shoes.
Back home, I thought my mother would have a heart attack! Her little girl in high-heeled blue suede shoes! Unthinkable. My puzzled father, unaccustomed to conflict between mother and daughter, was puzzled. “But she wanted them so badly,” he explained. I wore those shoes for two years, long after my foot became bigger than they were—and I loved every single moment I had them on. To this day I am convinced they were my rite of passage. I wish I still had them, as I have so many other pairs of shoes that marked the passages of my life.
BUT…I have also lost another pair of shoes that figured prominently in my younger life. Time passed. I grew up to be old enough and sufficiently independent to choose, pay for and wear the wildest, most extreme shoe styles available—just as World War II curtailed that dream. You bought shoes, not only with money, but with government coupons. I had graduated from college, gone to work and, glory be!, secured a credit card in my own name at Neiman-Marcus! But you were limited with two pairs of shoes a year. Period. Even after the war ended, shoes and many other “essentials” continued to be rationed.
Curt came home after three and a half years in the Marine Corps in the South Pacific. We became engaged and planned our wedding. I was determined to have a pair of white satin high-heeled pumps to wear with my wedding gown. I save scrupulously for those shoes, giving up other essentials so that I could walk down the aisle like a princess. I saved coupons. I found the pumps. I bought them. I laid them out with my wedding dress and my trousseau—and drooled over their beauty.
Came May 4, 1946. In our country home in Athens, I packed for our honeymoon, took my wedding dress and those cherished shoes and had my brother deliver me to the hotel across the street from the Methodist Church, which was headquarters for our wedding reception. There I dressed for my wedding… The atmosphere was hectic, as it always is at a wedding. My bridesmaids were in and out of my room as I dressed. Out-of-town guests arrived and came by to “surprise” me with greetings. Finally, gowned, made-up and coiffed to my best ability, I made my way across the street and waited in the foyer until, escorted by my dad, I made my way down the center aisle to my waiting bridegroom.
It was only later, while changing into my going-away ensemble that I saw those beautiful white satin pumps on the pillow of my bed waiting for their trip down the aisle. I was married in my house shoes!
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