Sunday Soliloquy – New Slippers

[ so·lil·o·quy – the act of speaking one’s thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers ]

There is something about an old pair of slippers, isn’t there?! Comfortable. Comforting.

I might love shoes and have rather a lot of pairs – the vast majority of which are comfortable walking shoes, trainers, boots, pumps – functional and good for wearing all day without worrying about my feet. But I still love my slippers. I find the act of getting home from work and changing out of my “outdoor” shoes into my slippers relaxing in itself. It is saying to myself, “That’s it feet, you’re done for the day, we’ll spend the rest of our day inside. We’ll not worry about the weather, about the level crossing holding us up, about being late to our next meeting, about how much there is left to do before home time. We’ll just stay inside our beloved brick walls and do our own thing.” It has the same effect after a long walk, after a trip to the supermarket, after a day out. It’s a physical action that tells my body that I’m home.

The problem with slippers, though, is that eventually they wear out. Holes develop in the sole, the warmth disappears and the material disintegrates. And they become too smelly. Yuk. They’re still comfortable, ish, but no longer fit for purpose. We have to give in and throw them away, replacing them with a new pair. New things are nice. But it’s not the same. Our new slippers are tight, stiff, maybe a little awkward. We take time to get used to them – they take time to mould to our feet.

Thankfully, it doesn’t take long before that new pair of slippers becomes that comforting pair of slippers. They soon give us that same “I’m done for the day” feeling that the old pair did. They soon show signs of wear around the edges. They’re soon the most comfortable thing you could possibly put on your feet.

And the cycle continues.

Sometimes we can get a bit comfortable with our routine. Sometimes it can get a bit stale. Boredom might set in, lethargy, lack of motivation. This leads to unhappiness and, well, a nasty stench. And so sometimes we have to make a change. Perhaps it’s our eating habits, exercise plan, skin care regime; maybe it’s something bigger such as our job or our house. Or it could be our outlook on life. Changing things about, doing something new, replacing something, can refresh us and make all the difference to our lives.

I guess the key is to know that your slippers are worn out and get on with choosing a new pair before they fall off your feet.

Life is all about the journey. Keep replacing your slippers.

Sunday Soliloquy is something I thought I’d try on a weekly basis. Please let me know what you think. If it works I might have to create a blog badge and make it more official!