RRN Online Volume 459

March 19 '05

Volume 459

Shoes Shoes Shoes Linda Wingo Has A Few

The Shoe Lady When I met Barbara Crouch, my future wife, she worked in the office of a shoe-manufacturing firm in Ripley, MS. By virtue of her small delicate feet and perhaps more so for her shapely legs she was often asked to "model" a new shoe. She was also able to purchase these "model" shoes at a heavily discounted price, usually five dollars.

I don’t know how many pairs of shoes Barbara had at the time we married, but I remember her having more than one hundred pairs at one point in time. It took several years for me to get Barbara’s volume of shoes to a manageable number, though I’m not sure if I was aided by changing styles so much as by limited closet space in our mobile home. By the time our second child was born Barbara’s shoes numbered in the twenties.

As for me, I now have seven pairs of footwear, consisting of three sets of boots (sport boot, dress boot, rubber boot) and four pairs of shoes (business/church, walking, yard, and a pair no longer used). My wife has often justified her having so many more shoes than me by commenting that she is able to buy five or more pairs of shoes with the amount of money I spend on a single pair. I can’t dispute her fact, but I still don’t see the need for more than a dozen pairs of shoes for anyone.

I graduated high school with Linda Jones, who is now Linda Wingo. Linda spoke to a group of college students from the University of Pennsylvania last week that were here on their spring break, serving as volunteers for Habitat for Humanity. The Ebenezer Methodist Church along with two other rural Methodist churches in the same charge had prepared a bountiful evening meal for the students and others affiliated with the Habitat work projects. Barbara had invited Linda to share her "shoe history" with the students.

While the students were finishing their meal, Linda set up her wares in the small sanctuary adjacent to the fellowship hall. She had a table laden with trinkets and ceramics crafted along a shoe theme. She also had a couple of embroidered pillows. One of them sported, "If the shoe fits, buy it in every color."

At the onset of Linda’s presentation, she passed out a quiz consisting of twenty fill-in-the-blank questions, whose answers all related to shoes (see end of this article). I found it too difficult to work on the quiz while trying to listen to what Linda was sharing about her love of shoes, so early into her program, I folded up the quiz and put it in my pocket.

Linda explained that many of the items on the table had been given to her by family and friends. Linda also had a basket filled with shoes that held a special meaning, purpose, or memory. She further explained that she really didn’t have a formal program and that she had no script or outline to follow.

"I never know what I’m going to say until I get before a group, though friends tell me I should write everything down."

Linda believes her shoes are as important as her friends and neither should be treated frivolously. In fact, she wrote a poem about her fondness of shoes that follows:

Shoes

By Linda J. Wingo

I’m addicted to shoes, or so I’ve been told

Folks think that I love them, from each heel to each sole.

It’s possible they’re right; they must not be wrong,

‘Cause there’s many a pair in that place I call home!

There are shoes that are new, there are shoes that are old,

Shoes that are green and shoes that are gold.

Blue ones and red ones, and ones that are brown,

Purple and pink, what else could be found.

Sandals and heels, sneakers and boots –

Do I need them all? Well, that point is moot.

‘Cause I’ve got them, you see, they’re just like old friends,

I keep them and wear them through all fads and trends.

So when you see me around and casually glance at my feet,

And think that those shoes should be tossed in the street,

Just remember what you’re hearing me say on this day –

Never let a good shoe or a friend get away.

While there is no physical resemblance between Linda Wingo and the comedian, Scott Thompson, who is known as "Carrot Top," I was reminded of him as I watched Linda rummage through her basket, pull out a shoe, and then talk about it.

"This shoe," she stated, lifting up a dingy athletic shoe, "reminds me of when I lost weight by walking and exercising."

Linda manages to relate many of the lessons of life to her shoes. She went on to explain that she keeps the old pair of athletic shoes to encourage her when she gets depressed about her weight, for the shoes serve to remind her of thinner times when they were part of her daily routine.

The next shoe Linda showed was a sparkling white, almost new, athletic shoe.

"And this is one of my new exercise shoes," she proudly stated. "I’m going to start exercising again."

"I keep this pink shoe," Linda commented, "because I wore it to each of my two children’s weddings."

"Notice the sole on this shoe," Linda stated after retrieving a thick-soled slide from the basket. "This shoe is heavy, and when I wear it, it feels good to take it off at the end of the day. It reminds me that as I go through life, there are many days that are heavy with burdens, just like this shoe, but I know the burdens of the day are temporary and laying down one of life’s burdens is just like removing a heavy shoe."

Linda shared more about her shoe collection than space permits me to share in this newsletter, but I truly enjoyed hearing about each of her shoes. She ended the program by answering the questions on the quiz she had passed out earlier. I will share the quiz this week, but readers will have to wait until next week to check their answers.

Note: All quotes above are as remembered.

How Well Do You Know Your Shoes?

A stubborn animal is a __________.
Democrats and Republicans both have __________.
Do you __________ gas for your car?
A lazy person is a __________.
The dessert is full of burning __________.
A shoe with a strapped down letter is a __________.
A horse needs a __________ from this MS city __________.
One type of scary reptile is a __________.
This snake loves water __________.
__________, anyone?
Those walking in water are __________.
Airplanes and angels have __________ on their wings.
If we are out in the __________, we will need __________.
You cannot decide – go back and forth – you __________.
Combine a big animal, a small child, and add boots __________.
Most people live in a __________.
World War II fighting men wore __________.
Let’s Let’s _____ _____ boots.
Change one letter of ballot, and you’d have __________.
Large people sometimes have to __________into small spaces.

Our Old Treadmill Now In Vicksburg

It was shortly after eleven o’clock on a recent Saturday morning when Jim Hess arrived in Pontotoc. I was expecting Jim but was uncertain what time he’d arrive, though I knew it would take him roughly four hours to drive up from Vicksburg, MS.

In an earlier article, I mentioned having lunch with Jim and Sheila while working near Vicksburg. A part of our conversation that day related to exercise, and Sheila mentioned she wanted a treadmill. I told her that we had one in our attic, a leftover from our move from Greenville, MS, a few years ago. I explained that we no longer needed a treadmill, what with the circular drive in front of our house. Dogwood Circle is almost exactly one-quarter of a mile in circumference and because there is almost no traffic in our neighborhood, the circle doubles as a walking track.

"Do you want to sell it?" she asked, regarding the treadmill.

"I do, but since we initially bought it for Barbara to use, I’ll have to find out if she wants to get rid of it," I replied.

I explained the treadmill was in good working condition at the time I stored it in the attic, but it was not a top of the line treadmill.

"I can’t remember what we paid for it, but something in the three to four-hundred dollar range sounds right," I added. "I’ll talk to Barbara about a price, but I’m sure it won’t be much, not over a hundred dollars, and it might even be free since it’s going to a good home."

That’s how we left it, until Jim called me several days later to ask if we had decided on a price. I was embarrassed to admit that I had forgotten to mention selling the treadmill to Barbara, but Barbara was at home, and we quickly decided to simply give away the treadmill. Jim wasn’t sure when he would come to get the treadmill, but he promised to give us plenty of notice.

Early Saturday morning, Jason helped me get the treadmill down from the attic. I tested it to make sure it still worked and replaced the battery that powers the digital display, which show various information such as distance walked, miles per hour, and calories burned. Later, with Jim watching, Barbara demonstrated how to properly step onto the moving belt of the treadmill, adjust the speed, and start and stop the unit. Afterwards, Jim and I loaded it into the back of his pickup.

By then, it was almost noon, so we drove to downtown Pontotoc, hoping Boondocks Grill would be open. Finding the business closed, we decided to go to Kirk’s Grill located on Hwy. 15 Bypass. There, we saw several familiar faces, notably the children of Mr. & Mrs. Lamar Roberts, Jim Roberts and his wife Rose, Jo Anne Roberts Bradley and her husband Jerry who were dining with their daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter. I went to high school with Jim and Joann, became friends with Jerry Bradley while we were students at Ole Miss, and tutored Jeri Lamar, daughter of Jerry and Jo Anne, in geometry. While I often see Jim and Jo Anne around Pontotoc, it was a treat to run into Jeri Lamar and her family.

After enjoying our lunch and fellowship with other friends, we stopped off to visit Ellouise and Devan Dallas on our way to show Jim the new Habitat development, officially named Circle of Hope, just off Clark Street. For Ellouise, it was a big surprise, and it’s hard to say who enjoyed seeing the other the most, Ellouise or Jim, as there exists a relationship between talented musicians that’s difficult for the rest of us to comprehend. Ellouise’s daughters, Pam and Sandy were on hand for lunch as was Ellouise’s granddaughter, Melissa Boyd.

After about an hour of "catching up," Barbara and I drove Jim to see the new housing development, where a handful of volunteers were working on two new houses. Earth moving equipment sat idly at the end of the same dirt road it had helped carve from the kudzu covered hillsides. A lot more work will be required before the area takes on the look and feel of a mixed-income community, but I’m confident the envisioned plans will one day be a reality.

Leaving the worksite, I asked Jim if he had time for one more stop, before heading back to Vicksburg. He checked his watch and calculated he did. I knew Jim would want to visit Dot Bell, as he had not seen her since her recent heart surgery. Dot was as surprised to see Jim as Ellouise had been and was equally enthused. Naturally, Jim wanted to see the new sunroom addition that he had read about in this newsletter. We found Dot recovering nicely from surgery but suffering with a case of shingles, something I’m told I should never hope to have or wish upon my worst enemy. Nonetheless, her spirits were high and were made even more so by Jim’s unexpected visit.

Our last stop found us back home, where Barbara and I said goodbye to Jim and our treadmill. This week, we received a thank you note from Sheila informing us that she is already enjoying the gift but had so far been unable to interest Jim or Dawn in it.

Sheila shared, "It is wonderful just to be able to walk when I want to in ‘whatever’ weather!’"

I think she meant it, too.

Bodock Beau It's Time To Diet When...

What with recent reports on obesity that align with what I've observed for years, the following humor is timely:

It's Time To Diet When....

You dance and it makes the band skip.

You are diagnosed with the flesh-eating virus, and the doctor gives you 22 more years to live.

You put mayonnaise on an aspirin.

You go to the zoo and the elephants throw you peanuts.

Your driver's license says, "Picture continued on other side."

You ran away and they had to use all four sides of the milk carton for your picture.

You learn you were born with a silver shovel in your mouth.

You could sell shade.

Your blood type is Ragu.

You need an appointment to attend an 'open house'.

Things To Ponder

Does a clean house indicate that there is a broken computer?
Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use, the bubbles are always white?
Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?
Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?
On electric toasters, why do they engrave the message "one slice"? How many pieces of bread do they think people are really gonna try to stuff in that slot?
Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?
Why is it that no plastic garbage bag will open from the end you first try?
How do those dead bugs get into those closed light fixtures?
Considering all the lint you get in your dryer, if you kept drying your clothes would they eventually just disappear?
When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart than apologizes for doing so, why do we say, "It's all right?" Well, it isn't all right so why don't we say, "That hurt, you stupid idiot?"
Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?
Is it true that the only difference between a yard sale and a trash pickup is how close to the road the stuff is placed?
In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?
How come we never hear father-in-law jokes?
If at first you don't succeed, shouldn't you try doing it like your wife told you to do it?
The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends, if they're okay, then it's you.

Submissions by Kim Goslin

Good Advice

"The only way to avoid being miserable is not to have enough time to wonder whether you are happy or not." George Bernard Shaw

Share this article with a friend.

Home