My Thinking Shoes!

If you have been a regular reader of this blog, you would know that most of my blog posts have been a result of ideas that come to me when I am on my brisk morning walk. Most people put on their thinking hats, whenever they need to.

Well, I put on my thinking shoes. An old pair of Reebok Sports shoes, which I got free with my Orange SIM Card, and still going strong.

Of late, I observe that my shoes are not functioning properly. No, it is not that I cannot walk properly or that the shoes are tearing. The pair has really lasted quite a long time. “Orange” has become “Hutch” and “Hutch” has become “Vodafone”, but these faithful shoes have been serving me all along. The trouble is that I am not getting any good ideas during my long brisk walks these days.

During one of my walks, I was just wondering how this amazing accessory, meant to cover my bare feet, could give me such wonderful ideas? Positioned at the other extreme in relation to my skull (my cranial box), this pair, which cannot be called downtrodden, helps me think “out of the box”. The cranial box, that is.

I have never ever treated my pair of shoes as “just a pair of shoes”. Never! In fact, whenever the shoelaces come off on their own during my morning walks, I have patiently tied them back lovingly, without getting upset, without a whimper. Though a thought of requesting my researcher-friend to do some work to figure out how these shoes manage to untie the laces on their own did cross my mind at times. But then since I got this idea while on my walk, I can proudly attribute it to this faithful pair trudging along with me.

If you thought this awesome footwear only protected my feet from the heat, stones and dust on the road, you’re wrong! So why then have my shoes stopped helping me come up with some good ideas for the next blog post? I wondered.

Today morning, when my shoelaces came off on their own, I bent down and while I tied them back, had a small little chat with my shoes.

“Wassup, guys? Why so glum?”, I began the conversation.
“Who are we and who really cares?”, they replied as though they knew this question was coming up.
“Hey, I have always treated you with great respect!”
“But nobody know us. Look at some of the other shoes - they are appearing on Prime Time TV”
“For all the wrong reasons, aren’t they?”

“Wrong reasons? They have been more effective than all the editorial columns and the combined fury of the opinion columnists put together! They have been the most effective instruments of getting the world’s attention to issues that get brushed aside inspite of the hundreds of write-ups and zillions of blog posts arguing this way and the other”

“You’re right, 'effective' they certainly have been – but then, you should be proud that finally your ilk have braved against all odds from the lowly position you held in society – near the feet, that is - you have been flung ..er.. sorry, raised to greater heights! You now rub shoulders with Cabinet Ministers. You are going places and leaving a footprint all over the world. People are left wondering Shoe's next?”

“Of course, we are proud of them, celebrity shoes! But what about us? We have been silently contributing to your blog and making several thousands…er ..or is it just dozens?... laugh. But we don’t get the slightest credit for it, not even a mention in your blog!”

“But you have never sulked in this way before, now who gave you this stupid idea?”

“Well, when we were kept in the shoe-rack of the Ganapati temple yesterday whilst you were praying to the Almighty, all the other shoes and chappals were talking about their prospects at being hurled at somebody or the other. Their folks hate someone or the other and keep talking about wanting to settle scores one politician or the other on an opportune day. When they asked us about our prospects - oh, how we had to confide our pitiable state because you don’t ever hate any politician or get mad at any public figure. In fact we told them you avoid them like the plague - that at best you would take potshots at them on his blog - our chances to worldwide popularity is really bleak to say the least”

“If popularity is all you are seeking, I promise you I will write about you in my next post, now cheer up!”, I concluded.

Hopefully, my shoes will be happy with this post and continue to support this blog as always!

Blogger’s Postscript: Read my First post on the ArTicKles Blog here and take this quiz.
Quiz: What must we do on 10th April 2009?