Last week, I bought a pair of silver shoes with rhinestone doodads for a black tie event. Not my sort of thing, actually, but the outcry that ensued when a few of my fellow attendees learned that I was planning to wear black shoes with a cornflower blue dress was — well, let me admit that I succumbed to peer pressure. Or at least, learned from someone else’s expertise.
When I got home and took the shoes out of the box, my not-quite twelve-year-old looked eagerly at them, asked,”Who are those for?” and was incredulous that they could be for me. Not that she didn’t approve of the shoes. She loved them, which is not a tween’s typical response to the majority of her mother’s apparel and accessories. But they didn’t fit her picture of me; the purchase seemed out of character.
Maybe so. But it struck me that everyone needs room to assess changing conditions and respond with changing behavior — sometimes the old way isn’t the right way for a new situation, even if it feels more comfortable and elicits no surprise. And everyone should have the chance to step up and shine, to take a different stance or point of view when circumstances warrant. Not to mention that it’s healthy to let your silver shoe side out every once in a while.
Onward and upward,
LK
The best successes in business come from out of the box thinking, so please take those shoes out of the box!
Liz,
I love this anecdote on so many levels.
That those shoes “Didn’t quite fit the picture” your tween had of you – I think she learned a valuable lesson, as well.
That people are full of surprises and capable of doing the unexpected, including her mom! 🙂
Talk about a “silver lining”! I appreciate your comment, Marianne.