Monday, April 21, 2008

My Sneakers will get Dirty

I have no idea what made me think of this particular childhood memory the other evening, but I felt the need to share it with you...

Apparently, I was showing signs of my “OCD gene” at a very early age.

(like 6)

It was a tradition in my family, that every season, my mother would take my sister, brother, and I to the Ked’s Shoe Store, where we each got to pick out our very own summer sneakers.

(I ALWAYS got a pair of navy blue, that had a white rubber toe)

This to me, was one of the most exciting things that could ever happen to me.

(that…and also when I discover farting, while taking a bath…I felt like a human Jacuzzi)

Anyway, after we got our new sneakers one summer, my mother took us to feed the ducks at the pond.

I guess it had rained the previous evening, because the ground was still damp.

After she stopped the car, my brother and sister immediately bounced out with their bread bags, and headed straight for the duck pond. However, I on the other hand, had no intention of allowing DIRT to touch the soles of my new Ked’s.

So there was my mother, holding the door open, while I sat in the back seat with my legs sticking straight out (like a board), with an OCD panic on my face…refusing to make contact with the earth.

“Ronnie, please get out of the car.”

“No, I can‘t…my sneakers will get dirty.”

“Ronnie, please get out of the car, that‘s ridiculous”

(I began to cry)

“Noooo, I can’t…my sneakers will get dirty.”

“Ronnie, plea..”

“NO!”

(I ‘m surprised I didn’t ask her to carry me to the pond)

Finally, she just gave up and said that I could just sit in the car by myself.

So she closed the door and there I sat…peering out the widow, watching everyone have fun feeding the ducks.

But deep down inside, I really didn’t care….

Cause my friggin’ Ked’s…were DIRT-FREE!!!!