Midlife Motivation

Friend or Foe

At the end of a hard day at the office, there comes that special solitary moment when you slump into the driving seat, throw your coat onto the back and reach for your old comfy driving shoes. My tatty old driving shoes are the best.

They were once a nice shade of taupe, but after a failed attempt at dying them they have gone a bit leopard skin looking. The entire back of the right shoe is scuffed beyond repair with driving, the other one has it’s rubber heel missing. But they are my best friend at the end of a tough day, when I slip them on I go into a different mode, off duty, off with the stiletto’s and off home.

Having an old pair of comfy driving shoes works wonderfully well most of the time as they live in the car so I always have them handy. But I have to admit occasionally when I get sick of changing into them every five minutes while whizzing in and out, I just keep them on.

Not surprisingly, my leopard lovelies have raised a few eyebrows when I have popped into the library or the shop. So when I notice that puzzled expression from people looking down at my feet I just smile apologetically and say ‘Oh they’re just my old driving shoes.’ Of course there are times that I completely forget that I’m wearing them.

On such a day I was standing at the pump at my local petrol station watching the dial go round taking forever, when I noticed a very smart woman opposite about my age on pump number two watching her dail go round. We smiled and nodded. While silently congratulating myself on how smart I thought I looked that morning, I remembered I had on my driving shoes. Damn.

I could hardly shout across the forecourt ‘They are just my old driving shoes, could I?’  I did think about getting back into the car and changing them for a second, but quickly banished the idea after picturing the whole scenario of taking them off and putting them back on again just to go pay. How ridiculous. Vanity eh.

We would love to hear from you about when you've been caught out. Just email info@midlifemotivation.com with 'caught out' in the subject.

Thanks, Susan

I suffered in silence as I queued to pay, feeling her eyes burning into the back of my heels doubtlessly saying to herself, ‘nice outfit, shame about the shoes.’

My mum was right, she always said ‘You can tell a person by their shoes.’

Susan Loveday - Editor
info@midlifemotivations.com