Shoe envy

One of the first pair of shoes I can recall, are actually boots. A very ugly pair of black, utilitarian black rubber boots, with 3 or 4 black metal clasps that would jangle when unhooked. These horrid black boots also had some sort of black insulation on the inside that was fully visible. I can recall the day they were bought, it was snowing outside, and my Mother and I went over the the TSC (Tractor Supply Company). I do not recall her telling me why we were at TSC, or what we were there for, and then she took me to the boots, the boys boots.

My Mom handed a size bigger to me and asked me to try them on, they were big, and that was ok. We both koew they would have to last. I hated them though, they were the ugliest boots I had ever seen. I was 10, and the girls in my class had the white shiny boots, with the fur on top and the big fluffy pom-poms. Oh how I wanted a pair of those very Barbie looking boots. I wanted to be just like every other 10 year old girl.

The other bad news here was, my Mother had taken me in for a haircut over the Christmas holiday, and now my long hair, was cut in a "pixie". Adorable to my Mother and her beautician....not so adorable to me.

So take a 10 year old scrawny girl, give her a pixie haircut, a pair of ugly black farm boots, and a boys down jacket......I walked into the new classroom, and I hear these words from my new teacher Mrs. Brown.

"Oh I thought we were getting a girl?"

That is how I was introduced to people I would be spending 5,6,7 and eight grade class with at that little country school.

I don't recall much about the first week or so at the new school. I spent most of my time staring out the window watching it snow.