Ruby Red Slippers

The agency that employs me is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year, so a couple of weeks back, we had a black tie “preferred” event to commemorate this auspicious occasion. Now, you may be of the ilk that enjoys getting all “gussied up” for a night out on the town, but me…well…I fell out of love with that sort of thing a longggggg time ago.

In fact, I have a tendency to “beg off” attending these affairs altogether, but, as Dave…my boss…has said many times in recent weeks, “you only turn twenty-five once.” So, being the good, loyal employee that I am, I sucked it up and went out and bought a new “fancy-schmancy” outfit befitting the occasion. Then I sat back and waited the pending evening with all the enthusiasm of one anticipating a root canal...without anesthesia. (Okay, so being a good and loyal employee does not necessarily mean I don’t whine and complain about the job now and again.)

The thing I did not have to purchase for the evening was shoes. I had just the pair…have in fact, had them for nearly fifteen years. Yep, I said fifteen years. When you see them, you will…I think…understand why I keep them. Now, also keep in mind that I haven’t worn a pair of heels in…at least…twelve years, so I had to talk myself and my feet (not to mention my lower back and knees) into wearing them, but once I make up my mind to do a thing, I pretty much do it…come hell or high water.

Now, to the shoes…my ruby red slippers. The only pair of shoes I have ever worn, mind you, that has elicited compliments from the opposite sex. Yes, more than one man has stopped me to tell me how much they liked my shoes. But no one has enjoyed them more than my great-niece, Miranda, who…when she was five years old…was wont to clomp about in them playing "dress-up." I can still see her sweet face, as she clutched the shoes to her breast, and proclaimed in a breathless, little voice, “I don’t know why I love these shoes so much...but I just do.”

I bought them…years ago…on the Home Shopping Network from a designer named Shell Kepler, who, I recently learned passed away this past February at the tender age of 49. She was also an actress, who appeared on the soap opera, “General Hospital.” I never watched that, but I did love her designs. In fact, I still have several dusters and sweater sets that I wear to this day.

There’s just something “special” about these shoes, so wear them I did...pinched toes and all...a week ago Thursday night for our Twenty-Five Year Anniversary “Gala.” I did receive a number of compliments, but by the end of the evening, as I was standing in line outside “The Cincinnati Club” waiting for it to be my turn for the Valet to fetch my car, I abruptly reached my endurance level and kicked off the shoes. Unfortunately, clicking my heels together did nothing to speed up the process, nor did offering $20 bribes to leap frog over the people in front of me. Ah, well…there is only so much “fashion” this ol’ girl can endure.

So, here are my Ruby Red Slippers. Maybe, just maybe, in another dozen years or more, I may be persuaded to wear them again…NAH!

"There's no place like home...there's no place like home."

The flower arrangement is the centerpiece that adorned all the tables. Anyone want to take bets on how long it will take me to kill them?

My shoes, the flowers, and a couple of my bears.