A Milestone of Sorts - Getting Noticed

[Steve63130]

Well, today was a milestone of sorts! One of the other residents in our retirement community noticed that I had heeled sandals on, and mentioned it to me, not in a bad way, of course, but just in passing. That's not happened before, ever. There are my gal pals in the Marketing Department who wear heels and I've developed rapport with them and we often talk heels when I visit their office, but I have never had conversations with residents. Here's the story:

I noticed when I got in the breakfast buffet line that Dan, who came in behind me, was looking down at my feet, and I wondered if he was looking to see if I had heels on under my longish bootcut jeans. I did (photos below) - Born sandals a couple of years old, got them on Ebay so I don't know the model name, with 3/4 platform and 4" cone heels that taper to a 1" x 1" bottom, very easy to walk in and quite stable, so I was quite confident wearing these heels. So we sat at the breakfast table this morning, and as we were dining, one of the other residents tripped and fell. Not a good idea for older people, but gravity doesn't discriminate. Fortunately he was ok. So Dan and  I were talking and he said he was glad the fellow wasn't hurt, and I said to him "You be careful, too. You're tall and would fall farther!" "He said, "Well, you be careful, too. You wear high heels!" I just replied, "Yes, but that's a risk I'll take." That was it and he changed the subject. But this is a small milestone. It's the first time in 1 1/2 years here at Kendal that any resident noted my wearing heels. Up until then, I thought they were all blind or just being polite or just wanted to avoid an awkward situation. It's not awkward for me; I'm glad to talk about, but it might be for them. Anyway, I'm glad finally to know that I'm noticed (and of course I have been accepted for a long time, heels and all!). It changes my thinking (and makes my head swell a bit! lol). And it means I feel even better about expanding my heel choices in the future!

Steve

[Jkrenzer]

Great story Steve I'll bet he and many others have known for a while. Just as you care less and less what others think as you age they too care less and less about little things like foot ware. As we all get older we all have much bigger things on our minds. 

[robbiehhw]

Very cool Steve. May all outside the box attire receive like acceptance.

[mlroseplant]

I had a somewhat similar experience a few months ago at the church I attend. I grew up in this church, so pretty much everybody there knows me, and has for a long time, in many cases since I was very young. I sing in the church choir. As is the way with so many activities associated with traditional liturgical Christian worship, I am the youngest member of the choir at the moment (I'm 48). I'm at the church twice a week--Wednesdays for choir rehearsal, and Sundays for worship. Four years ago, I nervously showed up at choir rehearsal in heels for the first time. Nobody said anything. Over the past four years, I have evolved from nervously wearing a little bit of a heel under long pants to wearing seriously high heels pretty much all the time, and certainly every time I go to church. And for much of those four years, nobody said anything. Not one word. Occasionally, I would feel like I got looks (even a female would get looks if she showed up to choir rehearsal in skinny jeans and five inch heels), but even those were only fleeting.

Not one word was said until a few months ago, when I sat down at a table with some older ladies during coffee/social time in between services. By "older," I mean in their 80s or even in some cases 90s. Suddenly, but not awkwardly, one of them said something to the effect of, "You know, we are always excited to see what shoes you are wearing this week!" (It's true, I try to rotate, so that I wear the same shoes at most once a month). I reacted in a measured manner, politely allowing them a closer look at my shoes, but inside I was floored. So they do notice! And perhaps anticipate!

You never know, Steve. It may be that people are more excited about you than you think!

[HappyinHeels]

mlroseplant,

They have been secretly entertained by your fashion parade all along! Older people just have a way of spotting genuine character traits even though they are slower to articulate it. Call it wisdom in the slow lane.

Steve63130,

What's not to be excited about.....heels and hose and ham radio....oh My!!!      HappyinHeels