I have been reading back through my blog... much like how I read back through my journals... reading what I have in the past... what has happened. I am amazed that anyone reads this stuff.... I write about things I experience... things I feel... things that happen... I'm amazed...
Anyway, I want to re-post this one from back in November, 2009.
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I teach at a small regional university in the Mississippi Delta. Over the years that I have taught here, I have noticed many ‘professors’ that take themselves WAY too seriously… as a means of reminding myself to not do the same, I started wearing Red Converse Chuck Taylor tennis shoes on my teaching days… I referred to them as my “teaching shoes.”
Profs should be allowed some leeway in their teaching methods… do what they need to do (within reason) to reach the students. Since we didn’t have a dress code, I thought this would be a great way for me to accomplish my objective…
I had been wearing this type of shoe for almost ten years. On the Monday before the Spring semester started in 2000, I was called into the Dean’s Office. Getting summoned to that place is similar to being called to the Principal’s Office when in high school… I tried to recall what, if anything, I had done that could have been the least bit borderline ‘wrong.’
The Dean looked like a cross between Colonel Sanders and Poppa Smurf… to make a long story short, he was an asshole… and I am sure he still is.
I went to the Dean’s Office with my Division Chair… and was given a letter of reprimand for wearing my red shoes to work. He told me that he had told me “many times” that he didn’t want me wearing them. He had never told me to not wear them… “They are NOT professional looking!!” he exclaimed!!! Never mind he was the owner/operator of one of the world’s WORST looking hair pieces… That bastard had a lot of gall… a lot of nerve!!!
I have always been a good judge of character… always seemed to make pretty decent decisions for which battles to fight… which ones to let go… Like Kenny Rogers used to sing… you “gotta know when to fold em… know when to fold em…”
The next week, the small campus newspaper had a brief mention of what had happened… the dean was FURIOUS with me… he called me back into his office… “You didn’t tell anyone about this, did you???”
Of course, I did.. the students wanted to know why I wasn’t wearing my red shoes anymore. They wanted an answer… it wasn’t a secret… besides, I DID get the reprimand…
Any way… I love my red shoes. They define who I am, I think. Red is the color of passion… and I like to think that I am passionate about Life… about my work… about Love…
A few years later, we got a new dean… and one day he walked past one of my classrooms… stopped… came back and motioned for me to come out into the hallway… he asked me if I still owned my red shoes… “of course, I do!” !” He nodded his head and said, “Well... its ok for you to wear them again… I asked him why… and he said it “just is”… I asked him for a letter to place in my folder that said I could wear them along with the one that said I couldn’t… I got the letter and I started wearing the shoes again…
Back in the Spring, I was driving home from a trip to Madison, MS when I came upon a highway patrol roadblock. After a quick mental inventory, I knew that I had my Drivers License, that my inspection sticker and tag were current, and that I had my insurance card. I handed the patrolman the DL… he looked at it, handed it back to me… told me to be careful… and then he said… “wait a minute… let me see that again…”Ferque!!!!! My DL was expired… he told me to pull off to the side of the road.. GRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…..
That patrolman walked over to a group of others patrolmen who were standing around talking… and he handed my DL to one of the officers… he took my DL, looked at it, and started writing the ticket… he walked behind my vehicle to get the tag number, and then went to sit in his cruiser while he finished the ticket… I was ready to go… I was unhappy with myself for not checking my expiration on my license… I look to see what he’s doing… he’s on his cell phone… dammit man, come on!!! I’m ready to get home!!!
He finally gets out of his car… does the highway patrolman strut over to my car… and says to me… “I have one more question for you… Are you wearing your red shoes today?”
“WTF?!?!?!?!” I looked at him and asked…”WHAT?!?!?!”
He said… “I need to know if you are wearing your red shoes???”
I tell him no, and then ask… "how do you know about my red shoes???"
He started laughing… said he recognized my name, and saw the university decal on the back of my vehicle… and told me that his wife had taken several of my classes… that all he ever heard about was some teacher with red shoes and how much fun they had in class…
Its amazing how stories follow us around…
That is awesome. It says so much about you. A man who wears red shoes, I would trust with my life. He's quick on his feet (cause his shoes are comfy) but he also thinks outside the box (so he's a but of McGuyver too).
ReplyDeleteYou are defined by more than your shoes. You've a generous heart and a humorous nature. I friggin' LOVE my Chucks. Every friday I wear them because that is all we are allowed (although I don't see how it differs any from the ill fitted Goodwill suits our CEO wears, even with his over half million per year salary.) Tomorrow is Friday shoes. I'll be in mine. (Bump and scuff) CHEERS!
ReplyDeleteOK I get the red part. But why shoes? Why not a red beanie with a propeller? You're not amazed! You're amazing...
ReplyDeletehaha - love it. teachers are always amazing, but they're really at their best when administrators, more and more people who have nothing to do with the art of education, let y'all BREATHE. cheers to red shoes. literally and nom-de-blog-ly. :)
ReplyDeleteI'll wear red panties tomorrow to match your shoes, Shoes.
ReplyDeleteBTW did you get off easy on that ticket?
You should know dear Shoes that the only thing of value we have are our stories. They are the thing that creates memories and lasts past us in the lives of those who know them and pass them on.
ReplyDeleteJust love this story.
ReplyDeleteGreat story. Everything we do is a reflection of who we are. Sometimes we don't even think about how others see us. This was a prime example that.
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ReplyDeleteBut did you get the ticket?
ReplyDeleteI hope this goes through...Blogger is acting up again!
ReplyDeleteI love this post! What a great story. Thanks for sharing. As Ami has asked, did you get the ticket? I hope not.
Marnie xo
... and he let red shoes go with a warning, right? Grrr. If only.
ReplyDelete@ Autumnforest... I definitely think outside the box and MOST definitely color outside the lines!!! Thank you for your kind words!!!
ReplyDelete@ Annie... YES!!! Wear your Chucks and make your statement!!! :oD
@ Kurt... it goes WAY back to when I was in college... I've always had a thing for Chuck Taylors... the Red just came along later... I don't do beanies well!!! Thank you, my friend!
@ Magnolia... Thank YOU! Administrators suck!! Teaching is the best thing that has ever happened to me!!!
@ France... You WILL!?!?! You ROCK!!! ;o)
@ Charlene... you are SO right about the value of stories... when my Dad was dying, I started my journaling... and I made sure that I wrote his stories down... my kids will have them to read... and who knows, maybe they will add my stories to his...
GG...Thank you SO much!!
@ Bouncin' Barb... you are so right. More people need to remember that... We all must be true to ourselves. Hell, if we lie to ourselves, we will lie to anyone...
@ Tulpen... LMAO!!! Sounds like you showed her who the boss was!!
@ Stormy... sounds like you had a rough day. I am SO sorry... Life can really throw us some curves from time to time... :-(
@ Marnie... several bloggers have had the problems you mention... I think they've been cleared out now...
Yogurt, Marnie, Ami, etal...
This shows how bad my writing skills were then... I didn't even finish the story... he folded the ticket up, placed it in his shirt pocket, told me he was going to take care of it, and for me to get my license renewed on Monday...
I share this story with my classes... about the continuity of Life... about the threads of Life... who would ever imagine that some of the nonsense we carried on in a class... would be shared with one's spouse, and some years down the road, he would recognize the names, put the pieces together... Oh, why he was on the phone, he called his wife to see what I looked like, etc...
I was just floored by all of the Karma that was involved in that event.
I do believe in paying forward, and what he did for me, I have done for others since.
It makes for a better world...
Namaste...
~shoes~
yer a good man.
ReplyDeletei like that about you...
xoxoxo
gobbles
@ Gobbles... I hope so... I sure try to be.
ReplyDelete~shoes~
Visiting some of your post for the first time. So let's go back to January 2010--
ReplyDeleteFalling in love/Hot Monkey Sex too Does this woman exist for you? Yes. You just have to learn this early on in the relationship before u get too far gone and u realize she doesn't want/like hot monkey sex in public places with you spanking her and tying her up. I think in one blog that was your request. Might I suggest early on in the relationship see if she is willing to watch some porn with u. My favorite is Rebecca Linares' site. I like her style. U just got to watch for the signs and notice things. Like I said in a blog not to long ago. This is what I tell the men in my life: "Act like a dog." And what I mean is ask for what u want and expect to get it. If they are willing then it's a wonderful thing. If they aren't then you know you probably want to move on and not waste time or energy on someone who doesn't like the same stuff. We can fall in love with many different people over our lifetime. I used to think you could only fall in love once. WRONG!!! We change on our journey. Hopefully, we meet someone who likes a lot of what we like but also is into their own thing but can accept our changes in our life journey. Stormy aka MissStormyMarples
Great post!
ReplyDeleteI love your passion and how you stood up for what you believe{d} it. Wow what an ending!!Seriously, what are the odds that of all the cops to have stopped you it was one of them had a frriend who knew about your "shoes!"
I would have to agree- you are not defined by your "red shoes." I think the students probably remember you for being just an all round, cool teacher and I think you set a great example for them.
I have a great admiration for teachers-- mainly because my older sister is one!! Stay cool.
I agree with Cocaine Princess. GREAT POST.
ReplyDeleteAnd why the heck can't you wear red shoes? That's like, the equivalent of misogynistic, but you know, for fashion.
Where I went to college we had the "order of the gownsmen", achieved by making outstanding grades. You wore a long flowing graduation Oxford style black gown to all classes.It became the thing to see who could conform to wearing the gown yet still make it one's own. I remember some that were so tattered, that they were a web of fine threads floating around the owner, some had peace signs down the back (it was the 70's), some decorated in psychodelic paints....funny I hadn't thought of that til I read your shoes story. Thanks....
ReplyDeleteThat's a great post Shoes! I've wanted, needed and craved some Chucks for about 2 years and haven't done anything about it. I bought myself a biker jacket recently, and checks are next on the list - for this week!
ReplyDeleteNice little blast from the past, Shoesies !
ReplyDeleteBesitos and Namaste !
I have an award for you over at Ghost Hunting Theories.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is why you are one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteI'd say your dedication to self says a lot about your teaching style and you should be proud. Rare quality today in the age of higher education snobbery. Do our kids attend universities to care what personal footwear you choose? Or do they attend college to discover more about THEIR internal talents and passions so as to possibly put footwear on people in need? GREAT post! W.C.C.
ReplyDelete@ Cocaine Princess... Hey you... thank you for the kind words. I love what I do... I love teaching. One doesn't do THIS for the money. Oddly enough, the greatest reward I get is when a former student tells me that I made a difference in his/her Life. :o)
ReplyDelete@ Lemonade... Thank you! I agree, there are grander and greater issues concerning the World today than what color Chuck Taylors some goofball wore to class on any given day of the week! Thank you for stopping by! I LOVE your blog...
@ Pat... thank you! It is a great deal about being an individual in an ocean of conformity. I think I have written before that I started as an art major, but at some point changed to business... I consider this an attempt to keep my artistic side front and center. Thank you for stopping by! I am glad to see you writing again!
@ Leah... Chucks go with ANYTHING!! I did eventually notice that my Red ones clash with business attire, so I did buy some new ones to go with my suits and tux situations! :o) YOu got a biker jacket?! Get BACK, you!! I want a bomber jacket!!
@ Senorita!!! Hey you!!! Thank you... I wrote that just a short time after I started writing and NO ONE was reading anything I did... and I wanted it to be read... I enjoy your comments on FaceBook... YOu are a RIOT!!!
@ AutumnForest... Thank you SO much for reading... and for the award!! :o)
@ Smedette... aw shucks, ma'am... thank YOU! :o)
@ W.C... Thank you for your kind words. I have mentioned before that I worked in a family business, and then as a stock broker, but never felt like I accomplished anything until I started teaching. Very few people teaching in university settings today have practical work experience. Most go from their graduate studies right into teaching... they learn theory, then they teach theory. They offer very little practical application. Thank you for your kind words.
~shoes~
I LOVED this story ! I always wondered why you called yourself Red Shoes and I think it's amazing!
ReplyDeleteBoo to bad dean! Buy yay to cool one.
Did the cop give you a ticket or let you off?
Totally awesome story! I'm dying to know if you ever got a ticket or not...lol.
ReplyDelete@ Ubermouth and Goddess... Thank you both! I love my Red Chuck Taylors... I've been wearing them for quite a while.
ReplyDeleteHe told me that he was going to take care of the ticket, folded it up, and put it in his pocket...
As a very funny side note, there is a young lady in my class this semester, that asked me about the Red Shoes story... she is friends with the patrolman and his wife, so I got to share the story with the class this morning.
:o)
~shoes~
<3 this story. I have a pair of cheap black knock offs. I think I'm asking for the real pair for my birthday... Mine will be purple. :0)
ReplyDeleteI like to go back and re-read blogs. I find that each time I re-read them I come across something new that I missed the first go round.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I like this quote that u stated in this post.
"Any way...I love my red shoes. They define who I am, I think. Red is the color of passion...and I think I am passionate about Life...about my work...about Love."
I think it is a wonderful thing to be passionate in life. Makes life enjoyable and worth living.
If I had a pair of Chuck Taylors, I would need a pair of blue ones and purple ones. Blue and purple are my favorite colors. I looked up what each color meant and they describe me to a tee. Blue is calmness, serenity, trustworthy, dependable and committed. Purple mean magical, mystery, good judgment and happiness. Another side note that I thought was kinda of funny was that blue was also referenced as pornographic as in blue film. Will have to research that further when I have time. But I have been known to get into porn films and once thought I would like to be a director of porn films. People would be surprised to know that about me. I come across as very sweet and innocent and I am to a degree but there is a wilder woman inside of me that I let only men that I am closest too see.
I think that is why I like ur blog so much. I can tell u are passionate about the things in your life.