She Glued Rhinestones To Her Orthopedic Boot…

… bless her fabulous little heart!!

This from a fellow lover of shoes:

Hello PeaceBang,

Just wanted to tell you about my experience of the ministry of shoes. I like no, love shoes and they are always a topic of conversation with my parishioners on a Sunday morning. They comment on the height of the heel-high and the pointyness of the toes-very. When I broke my toe a week before my ordination, they all lamented as to what I would wear-I hot glued rhinestones to my orthopedic boot and they loved it. Just wanted you to know that I have embraced my shoeness and am not the least embarrassed by it, it just lets me know that my congregation loves me-shoes and all.

Thanks. I knew you’d understand.
D.

***

Dear D,
Indeed, I do understand. When I broke both of my ankles at the same time in 2000, one of the things that aged me even worse than the pain was the footwear. I couldn’t step into a cute shoe or a heel for six months. Come to think of it, I wasn’t wearing heels back then. I was living in Maryland and fairly new in the ministry and still reeling from the fact that having a “Rev.” before my name seemed to have totally cancelled my attractiveness quotient in the eyes of every man I met. I felt like a frump and I’m afraid I was very much dressing the part.

When I moved back to Massachusetts to be the minister at one of the prettiest churches I have ever seen (the interior of our sanctuary is mauve pink!! How flattering to a girl’s complexion!!) , I got some mojo back. My new surroundings were so pritty, I wanted to be pritty! My friend Nathan took me shopping for clothes my second summer here and when he noodged me to buy some heels and I replied that I was too plump to totter around on them, he put his hand on his hip and said, “Honey, if I can wear them, you can wear them!” Nathan, you have to know, is well over 6″ tall and is not a slim boy. I’ve never seen him in drag, but I just know that he’s utterly fabulous. I bought a pair of
9 West pumps that day and have never looked back.

Thanks for writing, sugarpie. Take good care of those tootsies.

Kiss of peace,
PeaceBang