The Magic of Shoes

As I mentioned recently, I entered an essay in the Manolo's shoe essay contest. The Manolo said he received nearly 500 entries! Yikes! That's tough competition! Still, I hoped. Last night he announced the winners (you can read their entries by clicking on the link above). And, alas, my name wasn't on the list. But even if it wasn't deemed prize-worthy in the eyes of the judges, I liked my shoe essay, so I'll share it here with you here: "The Magic" One of my most vivid early memories is of being scolded for breaking a glass shoe. It's true. My great-aunt had a small figurine sitting on her dresser. It showed a graceful hand holding a beautiful, high-heeled, glass pump, decorated with fat pink glass roses and shiny green glass leaves. I was certain that Aunt Maxine had somehow come to possess Cinderella's famous glass slipper. What else could it be? I had to touch it. No, more than that, I had to try it on! I just knew it would fit and I would be magically transformed from an ordinary little girl into a princess. After all, isn't that what magic slippers do? I was forbidden to touch it, but I could no more stay away from that glass shoe than a moth could ignore a flame. I waited until no one was looking one day and dragged over a footstool to stand on and carefully reached for the slipper. Then I oh-so-cautiously climbed down from the stool with it cradled in my hands. I sat down and took off my dirty tennis shoe and sock so I could try on the magic slipper. And I broke it, of course. It was inevitable. I was heartbroken; sure I had ruined the magic. But you know what? The magic is still there. Every time I drive past my favorite shoe store I feel that same moth-to-the-flame pull I felt that day so long ago. I love to try on the new styles and picture where my feet might take me. And when I find just the right pair to bring home? Magic. I may be too old to believe in Cinderella these days, but I hope I'm never too old to believe in the magic of a beautiful pair of shoes.