And here is why?
People are like shoes. To find the right fit you have to reject many.
So many of them to choose from, but the right fit matters isn't it? Find the one in which you can walk comfortable and even run and you still feel like walking on the cloud.
People are like shoes. For different occasions, purpose, needs, weather, style, look, age group, gender, ethical and cultural clothing, casual, informal, formal, black tie event, various sports and activities, and professions. And so on.
Not 1 type of shoe will meet all your needs.
You have to have at least a few pairs, depending on your lifestyle too.
The recourses which you pose also do matter.
Too many shoes are like too many friends on social media. You do not need them, do not contact/wear them, do not even know them, or bother to know where they are.
Once we counted for fun with teammates amount of pairs of shoes we have, I was somewhere in the lowest range in comparison to a few lads, which was surprising as those with the highest number were actually masculine males and they had endless colours of trainers, sneakers and plenty fancy shoes too.
Shoe collector is better than a people collector?
Few generations ago, not even a few, not that long ago, the average person (read: meaning low-class income, poor, farmer, etc. as this was considered a norm) had 1-2 shoe pairs per lifetime. Quite often shared with previous owners or pass to the next.
Go to the Clondalkin Museum in Dublin or the Little Museum of Dublin to see that on your own, if you never heard this type of story but I did. Many children across the world did not have shoes for summer, just winter if were lucky. Walking bare feet in towns and cities was a norm even for adults. Now it is a hipster attitude or back in 60'2 hippie style.
We should not be surprised, still many people in developing countries do have 1 pair or not at all.
So in terms of suitable ecological Earth-Friendly Nature Aware Human Living, why do we buy so many shoes, and why females are usually having this stigma attached that they do love bags and shoes?
Silly, isn't it? Or it is actual reality.
How many shoes I do have?
Well, fewer shoes less bullshit as they would say about people.
Be picky to select those which are indeed great quality, great fit, great material, great look, and great comfort and do the job which they are required to do.
If you hike, sail, play squash, dive (cold ocean and sea), dance, run, ride horses, and do plenty of other activities you might have at least one repair per each activity. Plus if you dress in various styles from funky to elegant, and like to fit shoes to outfit, consider each type for weather and season and you will have plenty.
Is there a possibility to make one shoe for all, not, the same with friends, relatives, and mates?
But if too many, you won't be able to connect with them deeply and often. The same with shoes. You will have no days of the year and even occasions to actually wear them.
So somewhere there will be their graveyard or better charity shop.
The same with people. They will be left somewhere in an untouchable, unrecognized space and time anymore until forgotten.
So why be picky with shies as with people?
Choose right.
Give time to fit in and if not, let it go. Next pair. Next try. You have endless possibilities, all colours, and fashions from classy too trendy.
Do not be too rigid and do not aim for the perfect shoe/person. As perfection is fiction. And give them a chance to try their vibe, how do you feel with/in them? But be selective as time is limited and it is better to have less than more. Also healthier not only for your life and their life but for the Earth's life too.
But if you find those long-lasting shoes which you will wear till death make you apart, f.cking keep it!
They make you jump even if not in the appropriate environment/situation/timing.
They make you feel free. They give you air, like a booster of air from within.
Sometimes even the nicest ones, the most comfortable do turn ugly, ripped, and unable to fix, so give them away and recycle them. Make space for new. FRESH. And yes, leave the comfort zone too. Feel the energy, and vibe again, and well, old shoes do have a bit left over the drama of the past if any, and plenty of good memories too, but as with people sometimes their ends do come too. Now in some shops, you get a voucher for a new one. Is this cool? Oh yeah! Less bags to charities, more bags to shoe/clothes shops to get vouchers. Please do. Sometimes charities do not recycle or sell or donate, they just throw them out I do like the idea of giving to the industry shop so I am more certain about the life product cycle and the entire recycling purpose. Plus I do give a lot already to charities so why not change that for a few charities instead?
So this fun analogy came to my mind when I was mopping the floor and looking at my little collection of shoes. Most of them are new, or last two years max. Professional shoes like racking boots for thought hikes will stay forever till I will be 116 years old. Similar to the strongest relationship with people. Off course, if they will not truly disappoint me to the core of my Achilles' feet. If they do, well, we have to. Don't we?
Throwing shoes from our house is like throwing people from our hearts and minds. Actually is for shoes too, and people, both of them are thrown out from our hearts, minds, and houses.
Oh, those adorable good amazing memories, deep feelings, and friends (clothes, bags) in common do make it harder.
It will be sad, especially if they serve a lot if they were with us for good and bad if they help us find the dream job, pass this driving test, complete our studies together, were with you in the hospital, travel across the globe, go for fancy dinner parties, or at the graduation day or even the wedding.
But the job needs to be done. Out! Once, two, three, four...chances, and if the comfort of having them even after washing, forgiving, polishing, fixing is not the same, well, that time, time is calling to let it go. Wishing them a new owner or a good recycling process to become someone better/something new.
Plenty of shoes are given those one-party types of shoes. Fit for the trendy dress and that's all. No dress, no shoes. This time is a long time gone.
Now, classy outfits and definitely not fake materials. Last longer, and well, fit much more needs than one off.
After passing a restricted 23 years of a vegetarian-vegan diet and no animal products, a few years ago, in 2018 after half of the summer deep transition came within. As natural fabric as can be. No fake imitation of leather both for shoes and jackets.
Interestingly how much fakenesses was noticed in people during the time of educational journey about fabrics, materials, and textiles. How much actually water is used to produce the leather versus for plastic/tires etc. to look like leather? How many articles read about the need for the breathing of the skin, the largest organ of the human and animal body through natural fabrics versus unnatural fabrics and toxins which come with each drop of sweat not out but in your body?
The transition took a few years and I am free of long fake connections like the long fake shoes.
Well, how about animals, they are dead, yes, it bothers me, but death is part of life and it is better to have a dead animal on your feet which will recycle better, faster than tires, and plastic bottles which will not be recycled as fast.
Different thoughts, different ideas for life. Who knows what will be in the next decade? But for now, it is called the big cleaning.
Less is more the same with shoes as with people. And everything else.
Two pairs are never the same. The same with folks. Including twins.
So well, try it, try it, feel it. Is this really who/what I want, need, like?
Be open-minded you might be attracted to something quite opposite to your current comfort zone. Let's say give it a shot. You never do this type of activity! WoW! New pair of shoes and new folks around. Does it feel good? You have it! New shoes and new mates and even friends one day. Here you go.
New shoes do bring new encounters and even new friends. And by friends, I mean real connection, deep and lasting at least for a while - a long while.
Nowadays for a bit already we can design our own shoes.
Well, robots within AI are coming. We will design our own "friends". F.ck, this is real. Would this be really what we want? Designing friends, relationships, and connections? Not for me definitely not yet and maybe never. However, you wish I can do it for you. Augmenting your human friend or creating from scratch AI one. Would your friend like to augment you too to fit her/his needs? Your mind, heart, body...well, well, well, this is for the next time.
That's how the curious mind is operating. From one point to another. The never-ending story of thinking, processing, and creating ideas written or designed.
Stay or become if not yet curious and for now, give a chance to an unknown area of shoes, this shelf which you always wanted or never even thought about it, the same with new folks.
Reach out and you might be surprised where will bring you!
Follow the White Rabbit and Jump into Holes. Open as many doors as you see as those will open new ones.
Design new friends as you design anything else. It is real. Create in mind, and hop, here they are! Enjoy the process of creation with a Source.
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