Blossoms in Lotus

Aug 14 2010 ∞
I love these shoes. I love the red soles. I love the sassiness. I cannot/will not pay $600 for them. But I would not criticize someone else who could afford them for spending that amount of money on them. I cannot wear these shoes and carry off “the look.” I wish I could. Those who can should wear them casually and elegantly so that the rest of us can enjoy the beauty of these shoes in action. These shoes are hot. These shoes are not sensible. Being sensible and buying sensible does not always feed the soul (sole?) and sometimes that is more important than feeding the body. I don’t care what Maslow says. But I understand the need/desire/struggle between “Gosh, those are beautiful,” and “OMG, I could feed a family of 14 for 2 years on that money!” Shouldn’t the money go for something that helps people live? Isn’t it selfish to spend that amount on a pair of shoes that are safety hazards? That’s why Zorica’s struggle is one that I understand. zorica: When I first saw a pair of Louboutins upon returning to NYC in 2007 I was both awed and sickened. They appeared to me an emblem of refined vulgarity. “Nature, red in tooth and claw” springs instantly to mind whenever I catch a glimpse of those telltale soles tapping around town. I find them equally enticing and repellent, but the price is a beating a I’m not willing to take. I like it rough but I’m not a masochist. $600 for your basic black pump? Sorry, I respect myself a bit more than that. … Now that I’ve joined Phantom where we have salaries and benefits and overtime and rehearsal pay and money and free time I am seeing something new tip-toeing through the dressing room door. At least three of the girls have multiple pairs of Louboutins. They wear them with dresses and slacks and jeans. They look casual and fantastic and over the top all at once.  I hate spending money on stupid things. But beautiful things are not stupid things. Not always. I bought an iPad when they first came out. The first day, I had my iPad in my hot little hands, gently holding, caressing, feeling the balance of it, thinking it was too small and then thinking it was too big and then realizing it was just right. Did I need this? Yes, of course, I needed it to create my lectures on, to access research information, my notes, and, uh, well, you see, as long as I really needed it for all that, I might as well enjoy checking Facebook and Twitter and some of the online comics and Tumblr, and… No, I didn’t need the iPad. I wanted it. I enjoy using it and showing people around me why it is a “game-changer” in our society and why it should be handed out to every student, or better yet, to every learner. I can argue that my $700 purchase is wiser than buying a pair of $600 shoes but that would be false. Yes, I can use the iPad for learning but I wouldn’t have bought it spent that amount of money on it if it didn’t have the look that it has. Shoes carry you from one place to another and protect your feet. I imagine that wearing these shoes would make you feel like you could fly. A computer gives me access to information. The iPad makes me feel like I am holding the future of learning and entertainment and that it is all very effortless — sort of like I’m flying. It’s easy to criticize how other people spend money, especially when they can wear it and you can’t. It’s easy to justify your own spending on toys. It seems more difficult for us to appreciate beauty and celebrate style. If you decide to go for it Zorica and share it with us, I will enjoy reading about it on my iPad. Promise. PS One of my regrets is that when I had a hot body, I did not show it off enough with great shoes and cute clothes. I didn’t know at the time that I had a hot body and I couldn’t really afford the clothes. Enjoy what you have while you can.

I love these shoes. I love the red soles. I love the sassiness.

I cannot/will not pay $600 for them. But I would not criticize someone else who could afford them for spending that amount of money on them.

I cannot wear these shoes and carry off “the look.” I wish I could. Those who can should wear them casually and elegantly so that the rest of us can enjoy the beauty of these shoes in action.

These shoes are hot. These shoes are not sensible. Being sensible and buying sensible does not always feed the soul (sole?) and sometimes that is more important than feeding the body. I don’t care what Maslow says.

But I understand the need/desire/struggle between “Gosh, those are beautiful,” and “OMG, I could feed a family of 14 for 2 years on that money!” Shouldn’t the money go for something that helps people live? Isn’t it selfish to spend that amount on a pair of shoes that are safety hazards? That’s why Zorica’s struggle is one that I understand.

zorica:

When I first saw a pair of Louboutins upon returning to NYC in 2007 I was both awed and sickened. They appeared to me an emblem of refined vulgarity. “Nature, red in tooth and claw” springs instantly to mind whenever I catch a glimpse of those telltale soles tapping around town. I find them equally enticing and repellent, but the price is a beating a I’m not willing to take. I like it rough but I’m not a masochist. $600 for your basic black pump? Sorry, I respect myself a bit more than that.

…

Now that I’ve joined Phantom where we have salaries and benefits and overtime and rehearsal pay and money and free time I am seeing something new tip-toeing through the dressing room door. At least three of the girls have multiple pairs of Louboutins. They wear them with dresses and slacks and jeans. They look casual and fantastic and over the top all at once. 

I hate spending money on stupid things. But beautiful things are not stupid things. Not always.

I bought an iPad when they first came out. The first day, I had my iPad in my hot little hands, gently holding, caressing, feeling the balance of it, thinking it was too small and then thinking it was too big and then realizing it was just right.

Did I need this? Yes, of course, I needed it to create my lectures on, to access research information, my notes, and, uh, well, you see, as long as I really needed it for all that, I might as well enjoy checking Facebook and Twitter and some of the online comics and Tumblr, and…

No, I didn’t need the iPad. I wanted it. I enjoy using it and showing people around me why it is a “game-changer” in our society and why it should be handed out to every student, or better yet, to every learner. I can argue that my $700 purchase is wiser than buying a pair of $600 shoes but that would be false. Yes, I can use the iPad for learning but I wouldn’t have bought it spent that amount of money on it if it didn’t have the look that it has.

Shoes carry you from one place to another and protect your feet. I imagine that wearing these shoes would make you feel like you could fly.

A computer gives me access to information. The iPad makes me feel like I am holding the future of learning and entertainment and that it is all very effortless — sort of like I’m flying.

It’s easy to criticize how other people spend money, especially when they can wear it and you can’t. It’s easy to justify your own spending on toys. It seems more difficult for us to appreciate beauty and celebrate style. If you decide to go for it Zorica and share it with us, I will enjoy reading about it on my iPad. Promise.

PS One of my regrets is that when I had a hot body, I did not show it off enough with great shoes and cute clothes. I didn’t know at the time that I had a hot body and I couldn’t really afford the clothes. Enjoy what you have while you can.

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