I bought these really snappy Nike shoes the other day, all silver, with a pink shwoosh (you know, the tick mark). I hated going to work after Christmas, and I had to work!! But if I had to, I thought, might as well wear my silver sneakers and feel good. So there I was, 9:00 am in the morning walking along the almost deserted corridor (most people were on vacation). I was so happy about my shoes, that I was walking with a spring in my step. Not the Alice-in-wonderland kind of spring, but more like the shake-your-hip-and-bob-your-head kind of spring. My head bobbing was mostly because I was looking down at my sneakers while I was walking, and my head kept switching from one foot to the other.
Suddenly, I saw the tips of another pair of shoes in the periphery of my vision. A pair of white shoes. A pair of white, un-cool-since-it-was-un-silver, non-Nike shoes. I was appalled!! Which true Oregonian wears non-Nike shoes!! (Maybe someone who doesn't know 4 Nike employees!! But I wasn't thinking then). But I was even more appalled, because half a second later a hard boiled egg plonked onto my silver sneaker and rolled off towards the wall. The spring-in-my-step suddenly turned into fast, I'm-a-lil-annoyed foot tapping. I slowly looked up to analyze the source of my annoyance - an unsteady paper plate that apparently contained some one's breakfast - a few pieces of watermelon, a slice of brown bread and 2 hard boiled eggs!! The third one was on the floor!! "Sheesh", I thought, "I'm allergic to more than half the things on that plate!". I looked further up, to see who this lover of boiled eggs was. The plate was held in one hand by another Intel employee. As soon as we made eye contact, we both started the usual set of platitudes:
"Oh! I'm so sorry!!"
"Oh No! I'm so sorry!!"
"But I wasn't looking where I was going!"
"But I was. Should have seen you coming!"
"Oh but I caused you to spill your breakfast"
"Oh please! Don't worry about it. I have enough on my plate!"
"Uhhh.. OK then. Sorry again"
"No problem!!" (And she picked up the offending egg and threw it in the bin)
I walked away grateful that she didn't like her eggs sunny-side up!! Or else I would have sticky yellow yolk on my silver shoes. Even as I was sitting at my desk, every 5 mins, I would lovingly look at my silver shoes and carefully wipe it with a tissue, to remove any remnants of the hard boiled egg. After a few dozen times, my co-worker Ken started giving me funny looks. So I decided to stop. But I still couldn't be very productive, I was mesmerized by my silver shoes. So I thought maybe if I write about it, my obsession will end. If you must know, it hasn't. But for the sake of my silver shoes, I have decided that for the rest of the day, I'll walk looking up, God knows what I'll crash into next. Such a big sacrifice on my part!! Sighhhh..... I hope my shoes appreciate it some day.
On a second thought, I have decided not wear my silver shoes to work. I want to keep my job, so maybe one of the other ordinary Nikes will have to do!!
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