Shoe fast?
[I realized this morning that most days I have around 5 blog entires swimming in my head. The problem, it seems, is that between those early morning (or mid-morning) thoughts and by the time I get around to having space to actually write them down, they disappear, or perhaps become not as blog-worthy. Perhaps, though, I should blog more regularly.]
This morning I was thinking about shoes. I really like shoes (I have for a while). I'm learning that I have a lot of shoes. Last week in my spiritual formation class we dicussed fasting, and what fasting accomplishes. We're supposed to take a fast as a part of the class, and our instructor challenged those of us who had done food-fasts before to fast in another way. It started me thinking - what do I need to fast from? Immediately, the thought of shoes came into my mind. Shoes? Why do I need to fast from shoes? How do I fast from shoes?
Well, my visit to Cleveland this weekend confirmed my need to fast from shoes. I bought yet another pair of shoes. Perfectly rational in my mind - they're 85% off, I don't have a pair like them, they will be perfect to wear with jeans going out next summer. Yes, they are cute summer shoes. I won't be able to wear them out of the house for at least 7 months. I instinctively bought them because I don't have a pair like them, they fit well, and they are 85% off. I thought about the fact that this is at least the third pair of shoes that I have bought in Cleveland - a city that I don't live in, and only visit several times a year. Just now I realize that I've bought shoes in Washington DC, Florida and in Russia. I went shoe-shopping in China, but couldn't find anything in my size.
Now, I know I don't worship shoes. Yet, there seems to be a disconnect when I'm shoe shopping. A disconnect between what I know will satisfy me and a desire to have a new pair of shoes. I buy (literally) into the lie that I need the shoes, and that they will fulfill some sort of purpose in my life. Lauren Winner talks about fasting from cheese (in her book that I mentioned in my last post). Lauren realized that she had eaten cheese at the last six meals, and decides to take three days off of cheese. She points out that during her fast from cheese, she begins to learn the lesson that she is not captive to this desire. She can pass up the mac and cheese. She can say nope, today I'm fasting from cheese. So, can I pass up the desire for shoes? And what does that look like, really? I mean, it's not like I can give up wearing shoes. So, how do I fast from shoes?
This morning I was thinking about shoes. I really like shoes (I have for a while). I'm learning that I have a lot of shoes. Last week in my spiritual formation class we dicussed fasting, and what fasting accomplishes. We're supposed to take a fast as a part of the class, and our instructor challenged those of us who had done food-fasts before to fast in another way. It started me thinking - what do I need to fast from? Immediately, the thought of shoes came into my mind. Shoes? Why do I need to fast from shoes? How do I fast from shoes?
Well, my visit to Cleveland this weekend confirmed my need to fast from shoes. I bought yet another pair of shoes. Perfectly rational in my mind - they're 85% off, I don't have a pair like them, they will be perfect to wear with jeans going out next summer. Yes, they are cute summer shoes. I won't be able to wear them out of the house for at least 7 months. I instinctively bought them because I don't have a pair like them, they fit well, and they are 85% off. I thought about the fact that this is at least the third pair of shoes that I have bought in Cleveland - a city that I don't live in, and only visit several times a year. Just now I realize that I've bought shoes in Washington DC, Florida and in Russia. I went shoe-shopping in China, but couldn't find anything in my size.Now, I know I don't worship shoes. Yet, there seems to be a disconnect when I'm shoe shopping. A disconnect between what I know will satisfy me and a desire to have a new pair of shoes. I buy (literally) into the lie that I need the shoes, and that they will fulfill some sort of purpose in my life. Lauren Winner talks about fasting from cheese (in her book that I mentioned in my last post). Lauren realized that she had eaten cheese at the last six meals, and decides to take three days off of cheese. She points out that during her fast from cheese, she begins to learn the lesson that she is not captive to this desire. She can pass up the mac and cheese. She can say nope, today I'm fasting from cheese. So, can I pass up the desire for shoes? And what does that look like, really? I mean, it's not like I can give up wearing shoes. So, how do I fast from shoes?
posted by Carole | 8:50 PM
4 Comments:
i love when Lauren Winner comes into play :) good idea to fast in a different way...like I need to fast from computers :) maybe, to fast from shoes, could you pick out only 3 pairs that you will wear for the next however-long period of time (1 pair of tenny's, one pair of dress shoes, and one other pair?). Not sure if that would work...
another thing you can do is decide not to buy new shoes for a full calendar year or even stretch it to Jan 1 2008. (if you think the shoes you own now can physically last that long).
i say pick two pairs. one dress. one casual. or if you want to go on a long fast, pick a percentage of your shoes and box up the rest for an extended period of time.
The other commenters have made some great suggestions on how to fast from shoes! I love that we obliquely made it onto the blog. -LCG
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