The soles of Omaha's shoes were falling apart. He even showed the bottom of his shoes to IT Prof and me without prompting. The family went to Spin in Lenexa for lunch after church two Sundays ago. IT Prof and I offered to buy Omaha new shoes as an early birthday present, and we drove north to Legends and the Stride Rite outlet store.
I operate under the unconventional theory that children should have shoes with laces until they learn to tie shoes themselves; otherwise, I believe they won't have any incentive to learn. So, Omaha and I looked at the more reasonably priced lace-up shoes. He had just put a pair on when his mother returned from her reconnaisance of the shelves with a pair of Spiderman-like shoes. (They were not even last year's models--I checked--so affordability was not a problem.)
Of course, boring old Grandma looks at the shoes and sees the velcro fasteners. Omaha looks at the shoes and sees the coolest pair of shoes in the universe. One look at his face, and it was obvious that (to Omaha) it did not matter whether the shoes fit, whether the shoes were comfortable, nor whether the shoes were sturdy. In his mind, Omaha was already leaving the store with those shoes on his feet.
Fortunately, the pair on his feet fit. Omaha walked around the store showing the-not-quite-his shoes off almost exactly like a booby courting on the Galapagos Islands. Of course, Grandma and Grandpa bought the Spiderman shoes as the early birthday present. Even more predictably, Omaha left the Stride Rite outlet store wearing his fine new shoes.
Do you remember what it was like to wear the absolutely most desirable article of clothing in the world? Omaha is old enough now that, with luck, he might remember this shopping expedition. I hope he does because, as he grows up, the coolest clothes in the world will move out of Grandma and Grandpa's price range. But, at least for now IT Prof and I are almost superheroes ourselves for giving Omaha those shoes.
Awesome shoes!
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