Happy the Shoes

My photo. A stack of used-up walking and running shoes early in my athletic transformation.

No, this post is not about athletics or running. It's about donations.

I woke up way too early this morning, but dozed a little after 5 am, only to have the phrase, "Happy the shoes" echo in my head. I suppose it's because I donated four pairs of running shoes yesterday at DSW Shoes in Lexington to Soles 4 Souls, a charity I especially like. S4S takes gently-used (or new) shoes of all types, not just athletic shoes, and gives them to people who need them. As they say, a good pair of shoes can change a person's life--preventing disease and other health problems, keeping them warm, making it possible to go to school or work, and helping them feel better about themselves. (Please, the shoes must be in good condition if you are thinking of donating--my running shoes are used up for running after 500 miles or so, but still have plenty of other life in them and look okay. I run through about three pairs a year, and I can't keep them all for walking and other uses. So I donate the best ones.)

Anyway, I lay there, thinking how strange the phrase was and what it might mean. Are the shoes happy? Are the people who receive the shoes happy? Are the people who work at the charity happy? I haven't decided yet which is the right question to ask, or what any of the answers are.

What do you think?