The Nice Thing About Strangers
Creative Non-Fiction Short Stories. :) Travel, Oldsters, Love, and Compassion.
Fear in Footwear
There’s something to the Target shoe department. I’ve heard children say, “I wish people would stop having babies so we could stop going to baby showers.” I’ve seen children shuffling along in adult heels, seeking their parents or making their own path. And the mothers have their own stories, of course.
Today, amid a store thick with shoppers, a tiny boy’s voice carries down the aisle: “Look! Those shoes are really hairy!”
He inspects a pair of fuzzy slippers with horror, from a safe distance on the far side of his mother’s legs. She opts for a teachable moment and fetches a pair, “These? They’re so soft. Just slippers. Here…”
The boy approaches the molting Big Bird coziness like molten lava. He closes his eyes, but as his fingers touch the footwear, he lets out a triumphant laugh. His mother grins down at him and moves on, inspecting other items, but he stays still, a contented last-minute shopper, “Mom, Mom, we should get these Big Bird shoes for Daddy!”
–Colorado Springs, Colorado
Merry Christmas from your humble blogger! May your days be merry and NICE.
The Nice Thing About Strangers 
Merry Christmas…all the very best of the season!
Merry Christmas, Clanmother! I was just thinking about you yesterday. I hope all is well and peaceful with you. 🙂
That story made my day. Merry Christmas, Paige!
This kid was meant to be blogged! 🙂 Merry Christmas to you, Apple!
That’s such a sweet story, Paige. You really made me smile. 🙂 Merry Christmas to you too.
That was a delightful story! Merry Christmas to you too!
Blessings ~ Wendy
Merry Christmas Paige to you and yours – Cute story 🙂
Wow, lucky old Daddy! His son seemed to think it the perfect gift for him! You do see and hear funny things in shoe shops don’t you! Merry Christmas to you…