How many Pairs of Shoes do you Own?

And so to the last of my messages on things not to be compromised on.  The topic today is (wait for it ladies) - well shoes!  I have always believed that good shoes make a difference and anyone who has had to endure a pair of shoes that hurts you all the time, would know what I am talking about.  Life is very much like shoes and the varieties and styles and shapes are a fascinating phenomenon.  You only need to go to a shopping mall to see the ranges and brands being made today and shoes are found in almost every store, from departmental stores, to sports stores, to hiking and camping stores and then specialist shoe stores as well.  It is sometimes impossible to go into a shopping mall and find the right one because the diversity and options are so many.  You can buy a pair in one store and then walk around the corner and find an even nicer pair, so one just has to have a method and follow a few basic steps (excuse the pun) and hopefully you will get what you are looking for.  Life and particularly relationships, follow a very similar pattern.  You need to have many experiences in life to realise exactly what it is, that you are destined for.  Unfortunately, we have all had a bad pair of shoes that look good from the outset, but never get worn in well and hurt you from the beginning.  This is part of life and sometimes we have experiences like that, which can be painful when something presents itself as good and the intention is good, but it never works out the way we envisaged.  Sometimes we also like a brand of shoe which appeals to us and yet every time we buy the brand we find that it wears out quickly or breaks.  Yet we keep buying the shoe in the hope that one pair will be the right one.  In life we sometimes repeat mistakes and tend to go around the same problem or "mountain" hoping for a different result, but only repeating the error.  It is best to break away from these situations and find a new brand, because the reality is that there are other opportunities on the horizon - you just need to have the right attitude and start looking.  I have found that in life we come across different people who can be signified through shoes.  You get loafers (well enough said!), and slops (untidy disorganised people) and stilettos (people with high attitudes and opinions of themselves), boots (those that hide away exposing themselves for fear and insecurity), 'takkies' (those who run around and are always busy), mountain boots (people who are just made to climb up the biggest obstacles and make it look easy) and 'plakkies' (ordinary good people that focus not so much on the shoe although it must match, as long as it fits comfortably), brogues (classy, well constructed people who are presentable and professional) and finally heels (gorgeous woman with legs to die for ... oh dear no that is a different topic).  On a serious note life's challenges come in leather (tough) and suede (smooth) and plastic (flexible) and even wooden clogs (hard and uncomfortable) but how do we make sure that we succeed in getting the ideal pair.  Well in my opinion there are a couple of defining things to achieve the perfect result.  When you buy the shoe you need someone that assists you and gets the shoe for you and sells the appearance, size, etc like a good teacher, guidance master or mentor).  Once you have committed to the shoe, you need the correct opportunities to wear the shoe so make sure that you create occasions and memories where you can expose the shoe.  Further, always be mindful of the cost, so keep the "slip" when you buy the shoe.  Finally, lets face it, no one really like to go shoe shopping on their own, so make sure you surround yourself with friends, a team, or supporters who will always be your crowd and will notice your new shoes.