before i knew it, i was in mid-downward flight to the carpet outside the men’s locker room at the gym. i had to break the fall with my elbows and wrists. And I had to look up, disgraced, as onlookers witnessed my inexplicable stumble, tripping over something undetectable. They asked if I was OK. I said I was OK… and it must have been the shoes. i had never worn those shoes before. And I wasn’t used to the treads, which created an imbalance in my gait and a sudden loss of gravity. The onlookers didn’t seem to get it, and asked again if i was sure i was OK. I don’t think they knew what to make of the new shoes story.

But the shoes really were new, and this wasn’t the first time i had tripped over flat smooth surfaces wearing them. i guess i really am still learning how to walk in them. but it’s difficult for other people to understand because they are not in your shoes. I said, if only you could live in my shoes, it would all make sense. knowing full well that if everybody lived in my shoes, it would lead to one calamity after another.