SOMETIMES SHOES ARE THE TICKET

I made it all the way through kindergarten by scribble art, vanilla wafers, the grandpa at the fence handing out candy, and the graduation play, wherein I was Ringmaster of the circus: lions and monkeys, elephants and horses, but I was certain then, the real hit were my tasseled majorette boots. They were my first non-preowned pair of big girl shoes in memory. (It’s their fault I love shoes in a terrible way today—damn boots.) The audience adored them too. I heard them whisper love words through their smiles and giggles. I’d been made special, Ringmaster in tasseled boots.