butterflyuk

For the last 3 to 4 years I have been so busy running three offices as well as doing other jobs simultaneously that I had no time for anything. In the effort to keep my mind busy I compeletely neglected my body. I came to realize that just like my cloths my shoe size had gone up too. Perhaps my extra weight was so hard to carry that my poor feet had to spread themselves for balancing reasons?

Despite reducing my work commitments I haven't caught up on my clearing out process and that stresses me out. In middle of Friday night I decided that I had to clean up my hall cloak-cupboard, in particular my shoes. I may have lost my style and fashion now but for the tribute to my "city girl with it" days I had to try on all the shoes for the last time. After putting them in the rows of - may keep them, must not keep them, definitely keep them, ask friends if I should keep them - the job was nearly done. Then the indecisive piscean streak of mine started playing up, changing the category of certain pairs. When I severely repriminded myself a decision on 25 pairs was confirmed. They were staying. That left me with 38 pairs of definite outcasts pairs and 12 confused to their status pairs. I can't pronounce that my shoes are anywhere in the league of Carrie Bradshaw shoes, I mean they were not all Prada, Manolo Blahniks or Gucci, neverthless it was a shame to just throw them away.

I put the 38 pairs in a see through plastic bin bag to give them to anyone who want them. One suggestion was to put the bag out with the paper recycle bag in case they want to dispose the shoes too. All this carried on till Saturday lunch time. Paper people came and gone but the shoes bag stayed in its designated place. Then I had to go out so I left the bag there, outside, near the front door, so that I can put it in the car when I take the dog to the park.

When I returned the shoes bag had disappeared. I thought someone had taken them for a Mother's Day present. Sorry but I wouldn't put it passed some people to do that. If they can nick the flowers from your plants, forget the flowers, they nick the plants (don't forget I live on a main road) then what's a bag of shoes?

Only someone knocked on the door later on to tell me that load of shoes were scattered around at the back. Behind the row of houses there is an elderly accommodation, a car park and an unused piece of land. It is a short cut to the green and the pond behind the houses so we get yobs messing around all the time. Some idiot thought it was fun to throw the shoes all over the place.

Of course the old people living at the back expected me to be a model citizen and as a pillar of society I could not leave my shoes decorating the place! It matters not that there are broken bottles, used syringes and all the rubbish under the sun. With help of the dog I collected the beloved shoes and shoved them in the car to take them to the Safeway's recycling bins.

No way you can put your shoes in the recycle bin just like that! You have to bag each pair separately which I had not. In went the bag back to the boot of the car. Drove to the shopping precinct where I knew was a charity shop. I went in the shop to ask if they will accept all shoes in one bag (by now they were in two bags). On the affirmative answer I proceeded to do some shopping and went back to the car. I got one bag of shoes out and brought to the charity shop. Life is not really that simple, is it? The good ladies at the shop had locked up in the meantime (at 4.30 pm) and gone.

There is no way I am taking these trouble makers back home. I left the bag near the shop door. Back in the car it came to me that when I picked up the shoes from the back I just put them in the bags as I found them. It is possible that one bag may not have the pairs of shoes. I had to take the other bag of shoes to the shop from the car. Lo and behold the first bag from outside the charity shop had gone too. By now I had enough and left the other bag out there whether it is good to anyone or not.

If I am on the CCTV at the precinct I have my defence, I was suffering from "shoes separation anxiety". If anyone is wearing one gold coloured party shoe with diamonds and beads tell them the other one is perhaps in the charity shop. Oh also tell them the previous owner has now been reduced (rather expanded) to the comfort variety in black.