Random Shoe Monday

You and I both know that it's far more enticing to walk or run outside than it is to spend 45 minutes to an hour stomping on a treadmill. And, if you're lucky enough to have a gym membership, you might possibly at least have a view! However, I have a treadmill at home, and although it's quite convenient (and I'm not complaining, by any means) it tends to get quite boring at times.

Anyhow, I was anxious to go for my walk today outside at lunchtime. It was crisp and cold, but not too cold. The sun was trying to poke through the clouds, and even though I had my sunglasses just in case, it wasn't succeeding much. Traffic seemed like normal for this time of day.

I love to walk outside so that I can enjoy my surroundings as I walk. I can be quite observant, at times, and today was no exception.

As I was marching along to the beat of Billy Squire's Stroke Me on my iPod, I came upon what looked like a fairly new pair of men's or boy's shoes in the front yard of a house along my path. One shoe was bent in the back as if someone had been walking with their foot just slipped inside without actually having the shoe on. I looked around to see if anyone was in sight. No one was anywhere in sight. The neighborhood was quite still, actually. I shrugged it off, and kept it movin'.

Not even a half block later, on a corner lot, in the corner of the yard closest to the sidewalk, I spotted two more pair of shoes, and what looked like brand new books. These shoes also looked new. They weren't sitting all neat and tidy in a line or anything, it was as if someone had emptied a backpack or bag in a sort of heap in some random yard. Even though I had just looked around to see if anyone could explain this strangeness to me, I looked around again. And, again...nothing. I kept going.

About a block and half further down the path in another yet random front yard was what looked like a brand new pair of women's shoes. Black pumps this time, and a size 10. I totally could have worn them. And, I'll admit I was tempted to snag 'em. But, I kept walking, laughing at this point.

It doesn't stop there. I saw at least two more shoes along the rest of my walk today. These weren't in pairs. There was one men's hiking boot turned upside down along the fence line of a business, and the other was a children's sandal in the strip of grass that separates the sidewalk from the curb in front of yet another random house.

I'm sure there's a mystery to be solved here; however, I'm just grateful that it wasn't raining today so that I could enjoy my walk outside, maybe a little more than I would have any other day.