Recently a dear friend of mine moved away. I’ve been missing her terribly and was reminiscing about some of the many fun times we’ve had over the course of 34 years while doing errands the other day. I found myself smiling a lot reflecting on these times. Then I remembered an event we shared, which reminded me of an event at a previous job and I began to laugh in my car. Yes, I became one of those crazy people you pull up to in a car at a red light and they are laughing out loud with nobody else in the car. Hmm, although this seems to happen to me a lot!
A few years ago, this friend and I attended a Women’s Speaker event at her church. She was involved with the planning of the event to bring this popular speaker in from across the country. Since I had brought the same speaker to my church a few years before, the committee had included me in some of their planning meetings to help them with some of the little details, which I was excited to do. Their committee worked hard organizing all those little details and the excitement was building for the event.
The big day finally arrives. If any of you have been involved behind the scenes in a similar event, you know the feelings of getting everything together to make the day the best you possibly can for all the attendees. In our hurriedness, we go at things one hundred miles a minute! Sometimes, no matter how hard you prepare, they just don’t go smoothly. Yet, it all boils down to how you handle it. Do you go with the flow or do you become so frazzled that it becomes the proverbial snowball down the hill becoming larger and larger.
I purposely haven’t told you the topic the speaker was speaking on because, well, it would be like telling the punch line!
I’m sitting with my friend through the morning session. Everything is going great. It was a great first half of the day. We do lunch, another success. We have our break time, book signing then back to the last session of the day.
About half way through the afternoon, my friend leans over and whispers…”Can I tell you a secret?” I shake my head yes. She then puts her two feet together and holds them up a little bit for me to see them both. I gasp! At this point, both of us can hardly contain ourselves. She had a cute little outfit in navy and navy pumps. Her shoes matched her outfit. One problem. They didn’t match each other! They were both navy and they were both pumps. But one was smooth and one was textured. One was rather flat and the other had about a 1-1/2″ heel.
When we finally calm down enough to just a smile. She then leans over to me again and whispers, “I was wondering why I was limping and my hip is starting to ache!”
Yep, we were gone! Not only were we “Tickled Pink” I believe we were going into “Deep Fuchsia” from the laughter! We were both laughing so hard that the bench sitting with us began to snicker in our inability to contain ourselves any longer.
As soon as the speaker concluded, we started laughing out loud and the entire row, and those in front and back of us, wanted to know what was so funny. My friend quickly grabbed my arm and said, “Don’t tell ’em, I made it all day without anyone noticing!”
I then had to tell her about my first job after college shoe experience. I had a boss who was, um, different. One day, as he arrived at 8:00 he zoomed into his office and closed the door. I noticed his telephone light went on and I wondered if he was okay. A minute or so later, he called me. On the telephone, seriously? I am ten steps from his desk chair.
He said, “Tammy, my wife will be bringing me a bag in about 30 minutes. When she arrives in the lobby, they will buzz you as I’ve asked her to deliver it to you.”
I said, “Okay, you alright?”
He quietly said, “I will be. Just bring me the bag when it arrives.”
Weird, I think. What in the world is going on. Finally, the receptionist calls me to come out to the lobby to pick up a package. I go to the lobby. For the first time ever, I meet my boss’s wife who is grinning from ear to ear. She smiles and says, “These are for Paul, this is the other pair of shoes he wanted!” At this she starts laughing and says, “Did he tell you why I had to come 30 minutes to bring these?” I shake my head no. She laughs and says as she leaves, “Make him tell you!” Then she turns around and leaves, cackling all the way out the door.
I take them back to the office. I knock on his door and he sticks his hand out the door to retrieve the bag. Okay, so any of you who know me, you know I’m not handing over the goods now without an explanation! I put the bag behind my back and say, “NO BAG! SPILL IT!” While hiding behind the door, he opens it and motions for me to come in, then shuts the door. As the door shuts I can see them. His shoes.
Oh my goodness!
One black wingtip, tie shoe. One brown penny loafer. Black plaid suit. Hmm, I’m thinking his shoes don’t quite match his outfit!
I try to be kind. I make it about a minute while staring down at his shoes. And then it happens! I absolutely lose control and break into hysterical laughter. He smiles and grabs the bag and proceeds to switch shoes. I start laughing harder as he pauses and looks at the mis-matched pair in his hand. I can’t help myself and I say, “You may want to pick the black one and go with that pair since you have a black suit on, you look confused.”
He smirks and says, “Ya think, smarty pants! Actually, I’m trying to figure out how I didn’t notice that one was a tie shoe and one was a slip-on and didn’t make the connection at home when I was getting dressed.”
We were both gone at that moment.
There you have it folks. With all the hype of whether your shoe color matches your outfit. Whether the style of shoe matches the style of outfit you have on. That is important probably, but you really need to remember the first and foremost rule of style. Do the SHOES actually match themselves?
….and that’s all I have to say about that!
Tammy
PS: The speaker at the above Women’s Event was my friend, Emilie Barnes and her topic for the day was organization! Having a home put together so you’re put together.