Have you ever had a pair of pants, a shirt, maybe a pair of shoes, that you really-really like. Sure, you have other things to wear, but for whatever reason, you always seem to go and put that something on first; before ever thinking about wearing anything else. I'm pretty sure we've all felt like that about some something, sometime, somewhere along the way.
 
Me, just yesterday, I had to toss one of my favorite pairs of shoes. I don't know what it was about them, I can't really give you a clear definition and/or an explanation about the, WHY behind all of that. But, the fact of the fact was, I really liked those shoes.
 
Yeah sure, I have some shoes that were way more expensive, and other shoes that were even way more comfortable. But, for whatever reason, I really like those shoes.
 
The other day, I was sitting in my optometrist office, getting my yearly checkup of the eyes, and I looked down, and I noticed that the tip of the soul on one of them was starting to peel loose. Sad, I thought, as I sat there in the chair. …These shoes are on their way out.
 
Me, as you probably know, I basically only wear what can best be described as, most commonly referred to, as tennis shoes. These were a pair of New Balance 801. I can't even quite remember where I purchased them. But, they've been around for a little while. And they've lasted really-really well.
 
The sad fact was/is, as I sat there in that examination chair, I knew this was going to be their last rodeo. Then, the next day when I was collecting all the things for the throwaway and recycle pile, I said goodbye to them. And, they were gone.
 
Certainly, this isn't my only pair of shoes. I think I have like over a hundred pairs of shoes. I don't know, I guess I'm kind of foolish in that way. I've kind of ended up with a whole lot of clothes and a whole lot of shoes over the years.
 
I remember a little while back there was this reality TV show, and this one guy was really in love with the shoes he owned. I guess they were all high-end designer shoes, and stuff like that. Anyway, in his apartment in Beverly Hills, he had these long shelves above his couch. And, on those shelves, he had all his shoes lined up. I thought that was pretty funny. …Somebody who's so in love with their shoes, that they want them to be the first thing that people see when they walk into their apartment.
 
Me, I actually thought to do something similar to that, just not in my living room. But, I never did. My shoes are just stacked upon each other way too high and way too deep in my closet.
 
Nonetheless, and all this being said, like I said, sometimes there's just some shoes, and/or that something else, that you really-really like. Then, they're gone.
 
I won't quote that Cat Stevens song here. You know, where he talks about, “Your dad's best jeans, denim blue faded up to the sky,” as I've quoted that passage more than a few times. Great song. Most of all his early work was really-really good. But, it really goes to the point and the premise of all this stuff. It's here, then it's gone, and then we're left without.
 
That's kind of all the truth of life. And, I'm certainly not saying anything new here. Everybody has said it everywhere before. Nothing lasts forever. But, don't you really find it sad when you've really loved something and then it's gone? I know there's been a lot of those things in my life. I guess this is especially the case, as you get longer in the tooth; i.e.: you get old. With each year, more experiences come and then they go.
 
Anyway, I of course looked and tried to find another pair of those shoes. But, it looks like New Balance stopped making them. That's happened to me before. I remember there was this pair of shoes… …You can see me wearing them in the Zen Film, Vampire Abstracta, I believe. It was another pair of New Balance. I forget exactly, but I think their number was 480. I do know they were black with the yellow N. Really love those shoes too. Really was sad when they were gone.
 
But back to these I am talkin’ about… No longer available. Not much I can do about it.

Welcome to life. All you can do is love it as long as you can love it.
 
Anyway, I'll throw it out there to the all of you, if you can find me a new pair of New Balance 801, size 12. Hook me up.