On this, the last day of 2010, I feel I would be remiss to end the year with anything but a Roadside(ish) Shoe!
(Aw. And there you were, hoping thinking I’d forgotten about the Roadside game that’s sweeping the nation.)
This particular Roadside Shoe! comes to you from my friend and sorority sister, Jess. Not only is Jess a smart, witty, motivated person who home schools and eats well and exercises and apparently has more hours in her day than most people, she’s also the very person who coached me through my first few weeks of blogging. She has a blog of her own, too—Healthy for 100—where she tracks her pledge to take charge of her health. She’s worth a read for her strong, unique character and a giant, generous heart. Give her a try. (She’s on my blogroll on the right side of your screen.)
Here’s the story behind today’s Roadside Shoe!:
“I was shopping at Walmart on Christmas Eve and I spotted this shoe sitting on an empty shelf in a grocery aisle,” Jess wrote in her Wednesday morning e-mail. “There were no tags on the shoe and there were wear marks on it so I don’t think it was misplaced inventory. I immediately thought of you and snapped a quick picture. It’s an iPhone pic and it was very crowded. Sorry about the poor quality. 
”
(Poor iPhone photo quality is something I understand. No apologies necessary, Jess.)
And now, a closing thought:
I used to make an annual list of resolutions, but I don’t do that anymore. I decided on December 31, 2009, to focus more on living life fully than on striving for perfection. That oath completely changed the way I view the world, others and myself. I’m a better person for it, and that’s more than I can say for any list of resolutions I’ve ever written. Now, I’ll blow a kiss goodbye to a truly great year, greet the newborn year with open arms, and wish you all the happiness, health and prosperity 2011 holds in its bounty.
A very happy New Year to you and yours. Enjoy a hearty, safe, fun-filled celebration.
Have a Roadside Shoe!? Send it to 36x37blog@gmail.com. I’ll feature your shoe pic here, and if you have a blog, I’ll pimp that, too.
P.S. – Have you ordered the January online book club selection yet? If not, time’s a-wastin’. The January 25th meeting is just weeks away!
~*~ Find me on Twitter @36×37
~*~ Visit the 36×37 facebook page
I love the idea of blowing a kiss goodbye to the old year and greeting the newborn babe of the New Year with open arms.
Somehow it feels less stressful that thinking about all that I didn’t accomplish this year and focuses on the anticipation of the surprises that await in the New Year.
I’m still looking for my first roadside shoe, maybe in MMXI!
Jeanne
I found my first Roadside Shoe of the year first thing this morning, Jeanne. It must be a sign!–although I’m not sure what kind.
Happy New Year to you, too, Maura!
(And, I think that’s my son’s shoe…?)
Ha! I’ll have to ask Jess to go back to Walmart, remove the shoe, and mail it to you.
Happy New Year to you, too!
Happy New Year to you, Maura – I feel inspired and uplifted by your joy at embracing this year of 2011! I love that you describe it as a newborn – so much possibility.
I’m so glad to have met you in our cyber world, dear friend.
Sunshine xx
Happy New Year to you, too, Mrs. Sunshine. It’s certainly a treat to know you, too, friend! Can’t wait to hear about your 2011 adventures!
I still don’t understand how people so readily lose shoes!
I no longer make resolutions either, since all that seemed to do was induce guilt because I never kept them. Now I just try to do the best I can at whatever I do.
Best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!
Trying the best you can at whatever you do sounds like a worthy goal, Carol. Good luck to you this year!
I still haven’t managed to photograph a roadside shoe (but not for lack of trying…darn snow!)…
Happy 2011 to you and your family, Maura! So glad I found you!
Wendy
So glad to have found you, too, Wendy. I hope this is a fabulous year for you–and good luck on the roadside shoe!
Sadly, somewhere, a kid is hopping through Walmart while his mother screams at him for losing his shoe.