A sigh over shoes

When planning my house I failed to consider the consequences of having active children.

Oh, I thought that I was smart and thought of every eventuality, and for the most part I am happy about how it turned out. Still, there is one thing which I am really annoyed at: I failed thinking through the quantities and how to store shoes.

Playing soccer my kids need boots for artificial ground, astro turf, firm ground and soft ground… and living in Norway indoor shoes as well. Soccer alone adds up to three pairs of football boots, times three: nine pairs of boots.

For everyday use they need sneakers, jogging shoes, rubber boots, hiking boots, winter boots, sandals and proper shoes for those dressed up occasions. And then some shoes they just had to have because they look cool or they are really comfortable. Not all of them used every day, but often enough nevertheless. Often enough to require having them. I have not done the math, to be honest I am a bit afraid to, but it is a great many shoes. I know that much.

They grow out of or wear out the footwear and need new ones, and the old ones tend to stay around causing both confusion and disorder.

You see; just like school bags, gym bags and jackets, shoes have this tendency to end up on the floor, just inside of the entrance door. We trample over it all, as we enter or exit the house, and strikingly few of us get the brilliant idea to hang, or place, them on one of the many convenient hooks, shelves or wardrobe closets in the hall. Even fewer of us actually do it, so the hall is constantly the total chaos! A jumble we cautiously tip-toe across in order not to strain an ankle.

The rumour has it that women, in general, have many shoes. I don’t think so. I think most women are like me, and I don’t have many pairs at all.

I only have my slip ons, my high-heeled ankle boots, my low-heeled ankle boots, my flat-heeled ankle boots, my jogging shoes (in case I was to give the impression I am a sporty type of a girl) my sneakers, my court shoes, my high-heeled sandals, my low-heeled sandals, my flat-heeled sandals, my slippers, my hiking boots, my rubber boots, my ski boots and my gardening boots. In addition I have my gorgeous, red, really high-heeled statement shoes… and a couple more court shoes, just because they need to fit the outfit. In other words: just the most essential pairs of shoes. I don’t have much space in my wardrobe (it is a very small wardrobe), so I keep those I can’t find room for there in different wardrobes around the house. (No, I do not hide them, just place them.)

I am not the only mum with three kids around: How do families in normal homes storage their shoes?

I really should... but I don't, or do I?

I have given up on magazines. They cost a fortune and even though they all claim to be different; they are not. They are all the same (and I disregard the x-rated, as I have no experience in them and their contents, just thought it was necessary to mention that).

At the end of the day they all make women feel they are not good enough, don’t try hard enough and do not show enough initiative.

Through October, November and December they tell us how to dress (including what perfect hold-ins and stay-ups to buy), put on the right make up, get the right hairdo, cook, bake, set the table, drink, decorate, make personal greeting cards for the holiday, make time for the kids during planning the holiday and find the perfect present.

Thank heavens for family traditions! I have decided to stick with the old fashion way my mum tried to keep up.

Now that the celebrations are over with, the magazines are overflown with the answer to how to diet and get the perfect body (back) after the excessive eating and partying. The methods are different from year to year, depending on what is in fashion.

This year it is low carb diet and aerobic and pilates which are mentioned a lot, for an effective weightloss. I am not quite there yet, but I see they have a point when it comes to the weightloss itself. It is rather disturbing not to be able to tie your own shoes without heavy breathing. (Just to make clear the thought is not new to me I admit I have bought every dvd I have come across on Zumba. That looks like a blast! Just haven’t gotten around to try it out too much yet, but I will. And I expect to look great in no time… just a glimpse into, hopefully, near future there.)

Scary I know all this, since I never buy the magazines, but the frontpages are screaming at me with loud colours and BIG print.

The good news is that I do not have to pay for the bad conscience, I get it for free.

So, regarding my insight on what modern requirements women face, and knowing I should care more about them, it hits me:

I am a woman, and even though I claim I do not care what the magazines say, I have to admit they plant a somewhat distracting insight in my failure of being the best version of me, and I kind of owe it to both myself and my fellow human beings to be at my best in most respects.

On the other hand: in what way do men face the demands of society? I am just being curious here, cause I hear very little about that, and looking around I know there are many gorgeous men out there. A lot more gorgeous men than women, in fact.