Tell Me a Story About Your Shoes
One Thursday morning at a soup kitchen /community center for homeless women in downtown
Boston, I was given this gift of a story in response to the opening prompt, Tell me about your shoes.” I
pass this story along now in honor of the woman who shared it. You see these beautiful white
sneakers? I didn’t always have them. My last pair of shoes was pretty sad. After many winters of
walking the snow and slush, I was holding them together with cardboard and masking tape. So, I
decided to go to the mall to get a new pair. There’s a shoe store there that often has sneakers I can
afford. Walking through the mall I knew everyone was looking at me being there. I wanted to get my
new shoes quick and leave.
Walking down the aisle, I saw a really nice pair of white sneakers. There was only this one pair
in my size left. I put them on and couldn’t believe how good they felt. I walk all around the store in
them, thinking how nice it would be if they were mine. I knew I didn’t have money to get them that day
but I also knew that if I waited, they ‘d be gone. I brought them up to the front of the store and asked
the guy behind the counter if he would hold them for me. He said it was against store policy. I
promised him I would come back as soon as I could to buy them but he just kept shaking his head
and saying no, he couldn’t.
I put my masking tape sneakers back on and left the mall as fast as I could. For the next two
weeks, I scraped by until I had enough money to go back for my shoes. Funny how I kept calling
them mine, as if somehow, I could protect them from going home with anyone else. The day I had
enough money, I ran all the way to the mall, and ignored all those people staring at my masking tape
shoes. I went to the shelf where I left them, with my eyes half shut afraid to look. Sure, enough they
were gone. I looked at every pair of shoes in the aisle that had my size, but there were no shoes left
like them. They were gone.
I started for the door; I wasn’t ready to try on anything else that day. I just felt too worn down to
look anymore. That when the manager yelled at me, I started to walk faster to get away, but he ran
after me, still yelling. “I have your shoes.” It took me a few times of hearing it to get what he meant. ‘I
HAVE YOUR SHOES. “OK”, I said. “I’ve got the money now to pay for them.” “No. No”, he said
“They’ve been paid for. That’s why I’ve got them.They’re now yours” I can’t tell you what when on in my head in that moment. I only remember
leaving my old shoes in the trash bin and walking out into the mall wearing my new white sneakers
with money still in my pocket. I took my time leaving that day.
As I walked past each stranger, I looked them in the eye and smiled. I felt so good. It wasn’t
that I thought that they were looking at me differently because of my new sneakers. It was more that I
was seeing them differently. I used to think no one was on my side. But that day I knew that any
person I walked by could be the one who gave my new shoes. Whoever they were, I wanted them to
know I was saying, “Thank you”.
1. What is the theme of the story?
2. What is the point of view used in the story?
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Answer:
Theme: The theme of the story is about appreciation and kindness.
POV: The POV used is first person.