Barefoot in the Hollow

Lately I have been enjoying short walks in the early morning. I would love to tell you that I leap out of bed, eager to meet the day. In truth, I hit the snooze button and hope for rain. But, once I am outside, I actually enjoy the peace and quiet just as the day starts to break. It gives me a lot of time to think. While I try to concentrate on breathing in and out or walking without tripping, a lot of random thoughts wander around in my head. Sometimes it's a thought as simple as wondering what kind of bug just few past me. Or, something as complicated as 'the economy'. Recently I've been thinking a lot about shoes.

At the start of every school year, I would get a new pair of shoes. Remember buying shoes in a department store? Remember getting your foot measured and the salesman bringing you boxes of shoes to try? We didn't have anything like Zappos.com back then. By summer, I would outgrow my shoes and end up spending the days barefoot. I don't remember ever cutting my foot on anything while barefoot. But, I do remember a nice, big rusty nail that went straight thru the shoe into my foot one summer. These days, I know too much about the dangers that lurk on the ground to be brave enough to walk barefoot through the yard. Well, okay, maybe it's also because my feet are more tender now.

I need new walking shoes and have been in search of the perfect pair. In my Internet wanderings, I found The North Face at Zappos.com. I've been to Zappos.com before in search of the perfect pair of shoes. Their selection and easy search engine combine to help me make an informed decision when purchasing from their site. Sometimes when I'm shopping online, I imagine a tiny salesman running around their virtual store bringing me hundreds of boxes of shoes! The North Face product line is from a company that started out specializing in mountain climbing gear, and they are serious about shoes. Actually, they have a whole line of outdoor gear from clothing to tents and even handbags! Just looking at all The North Face styles inspires me to forget walking and start hiking! Well, maybe hiking isn't such a good idea while I'm still concentrating on walking without falling. But, shoes developed for use in the wilds of Alaska should make walking in the hollows of Tennessee a breeze!