Relationships Are Like Shoe Shopping

I've been cleaning out my shoe closet. The more time I spent sorting things out and deciding if the particular pair gets to stay or leave, I realized that shoe shopping has many similarities to relationships.

Firstly, you have to know what shoe you want. Then again, sometimes you walk into a shoe shop looking for flats and end up falling in love with a pair of heels. You never know.

Secondly, you never really know when you're going to meet the perfect shoe. In fact, the more you search for it the more it evades you. Then one fine day when you're shopping for something completely unrelated, it shows up.

Thirdly, once you actually see the perfect shoe, you have to pray they have your size. What does it matter if it's the most awesome shoe ever if it's too small/big? It is not meant to be.

Fourthly, it's all good in the shoe shop, you decide to pay up for it and bring it home. There still isn't a guarantee. Because a week later when you put it on and walk 1 block down the street, they can start to really hurt.

Three options - you can stick it out and eventually you break them in and become one of your favourites, or you can stick it out until you realize that it's futile. No amount of breaking in, thick socks, plasters and various other tricks is going to stop the shoe creating a bloody, blistery mess of your feet. Or you can give up after the first try for fear that the bloody blistery mess is going to be the eventual outcome.

Sometimes the shoe is so perfect in appearance one decides that some blisters and tears are worth the trouble. But eventually you realize it's too high a price to pay. So you take it off, take a photo of it and sell it on eBay - hoping the future owner has better luck.

And then you go shoe shopping again.