Did you know that shoes multiply, like rabbits? You start out with some sturdy Birkenstocks and maybe a pair of Capezio heels and the next thing you know your closet is overflowing with pink ballet slippers plus six pairs of multi-colored tennis shoes.
My mother had the worst case of shoe proliferation ever diagnosed. I blame it on the cold WVA climate. All that snuggling in the winter resulted in multiples of pastel spring sandals and flirty jelly flip-flops. We unearthed 213 pairs from closets and under beds.
Sadly, the inbreeding results in symptoms of instability. Shoes wander off, but never in pairs, so you venture out to work in one brown loafer and one chocolate flat. After my last move, I unpacked shoes I’d never seen before.I have an unproven but logical theory— space aliens.
I applied for a grant to study this footwear phenomenon,deciding it could be my lasting contribution to society. So far my only response was a happy face emoji. I assumed… multiplying shoes would trigger concern, but Russian meddling in our elections stole my air time.
SHARON CANFIELD DORSEY is an awarding author and poet.
She has published four children’s books…Herman the Hermit Crab and the Mystery of the Big, Black, Shiny Thing; Revolt of the Teacups; Buddy and Ballerina save the Library; Buddy the Bookworm Rescues the Doomed Books…a memoir, Daughter of the Mountains; a book of poetry, Tapestry. Her poems are also included in an anthology, Captured Moments.
I viewed some YouTube videos in which color-blind men saw colors for the first time. Each received a pair of newly patented glasses that corrected their achromatopsia, an inherited condition of total color blindness. What intrigued me about the videos were the men’s extreme reactions. In each case, they were overcome with emotion, to the point of tears.
I’ve tried to imagine a world devoid of color where
every scene looks like a black-and-white photograph. Those of us who’ve always possessed
the gift of being able to distinguish colors take it for granted. For us, it’s
one of those senses as natural as sight, itself.
As I sit writing in my sunroom, I glance out the
window and spot two birds at the feeder. One is a Christmas red cardinal, and the
other has cornflower-blue feathers and a chestnut-red belly. They’re painted
against the backdrop of a cerulean sky. With the advent of spring, this scene
will be dotted with green leaves, pink blossoms, and yellow daffodils. How unappealing
my view would be if the colors were limited to shades of black, gray, and white.
Inside, I grow lush plants in varying tones of green:
two ferns, a peace lily, and a Norfolk pine. In one corner stands a palm tree. In
the opposite corner, a fichus tree (fake, but still colorful). I wonder what
labels Crayola would give their slightly differing hues: Sea Green, Forest
Green, and Jungle Green perhaps? I try to imagine them without pigment: gray,
grayer, and grayest. How dull and uninteresting they would look!
Can you imagine a bride selecting Crayola’s Dolphin
Gray, Outer Space Black, and Crystal White for her wedding colors? Although the
creative names make these hues sound interesting, the wedding guests would yawn
with boredom.
Publicists know how to use color to energize their
advertisements and products. Color garners attention. Color sells.
People (mostly men) with red-green color blindness
have difficulty differentiating stoplights from “go” lights. In emergencies, the
ability to see red exit signs and ambulance lights saves lives. Yellow center road lines separate opposite flows of vehicular traffic, and yellow lights tell drivers when to
proceed with caution. The inability to distinguish
these colors could pose a serious safety hazard.
We depend on color cues
every day. If I didn’t
pair my husband’s jackets and pants and match his socks, he’d show up at church
wearing navy-blue pants with a black jacket, one black sock, and one navy sock.
Okay, maybe that’s not a safety hazard, but it’s a fashion faux pas that most
of us can avoid with little effort.
We’ve all watched movies like “The Wizard of Oz” that
start in black-and-white then gradually emerge into the full spectrum of
Technicolor. Suddenly, our brains awaken to whole new sensations. We sit up and
take notice. This cinematic effect must be what it’s like to put on glasses
that correct achromatopsia. After watching those YouTube videos, I’ll never
again take for granted my ability to see the world in living color.
Cindy L. Freeman
is the author of two award-winning short stories and three published
novels: Unrevealed,The Dark Room, and I Want to Go Home.
Website: www.cindylfreeman.com; Facebook page: Cindy Loomis Freeman.
Her books are available from amazon.com or hightidepublications.com
Now that I am thankfully on day five of my second cataract
surgery. I can’t believe how painless, easy and non-eventful this was. Thanks
to my surgeon, Dr. Farah of Cullom and Farah, who explained all of my
options with great patience.
Although most nearsighted folks opt to correct their
distance vision with cataract surgery, I did not. The thought of needing
glasses for reading, which is second only to breathing in my life, was beyond
comprehension. Thanks to Medicare for providing basic surgery.
I was able to order my eye drops from a compounding pharmacy
in California so that many of the medications were combined, resulting in fewer
drops. A side note, earlier this year I ordered medication for my dog from a
compounding pharmacy in Arizona. Are there no compounding pharmacies in the Eastern
Time zone?
I was amazed how little down time is now required for this surgery. I was able to drive
myself to my post-op appointment the next day. My vision is still fluctuating
and I have a few restrictions until I am a week out, but not many. My husband
drove me to the surgery and was prepared to do chores at home, but after the
third day, he didn’t need to. I spent my down time binge watching Jack Ryan on
Amazon. Really good, Tom Clancy. In a few weeks I will get my new glasses and
you’d better watch out because I will be able to see everything (I hope).
I have been reading various
articles about Millennials and the challenges they face in a job search and
have been struck with how many common denominators of the age group (23-38 in
2019) are similar to the problems that
most clients face. And, the same solutions will work for them
Holding on to beliefs that
are based in the past. A danger for all job seekers. You need to understand
yourself and the marketplace in the here-and-now. What you believed at 21 may
no longer be true at 35, or 55.
Not recognizing their own
strengths and values. Most people do not do a great job of recognizing what
they have to offer or expressing it effectively.
Not knowing what they want.
After all, we should be constantly assessing what is important to use at this
time in our lives.
Having no clear strategy.
Fire, aim, ready, is fairly typical for people feeling stuck. They take poorly
thought out actions or freeze into inactivity.
Feeling isolated. Looking for
a job is stressful. Being able to understand all your resources in family,
friends, acquaintances and coworkers (and ex coworkers)
Making mistakes in logic when
one particular thread does not work out. Over generalizing from one failure or
not learning from experience. Basically, not following the serenity prayer.
Not paying attention to
detail. Carelessness does in a lot of job searches; from not proofreading to
failure to follow up with contacts.
