Those who see appearance know the character; those who see intimacy know the person.
On a luxurious shelf inside a closet, two objects had been engaged in a discussion that had lasted for hours.
On one side, an elegant high-heeled shoe, wrapped in glamour and signed by a renowned fashion brand.
On the other, a well-regarded sports sneaker, proudly displaying the marks of the journeys it had undertaken.
The shoe lifted its pointed toe and declared:
“You have no idea where I went last night. I accompanied the madam to a ceremony full of celebrities. I stepped on the red carpet of fame.”
The sneaker let out a small laugh.
“The red carpet? That’s nothing. I conquered hundreds of kilometers along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. I crossed mountains, faced rain, wind, and dust. I reached places you will never see.”
The shoe was not to be outdone.
“I have been filmed and photographed dozens of times. Everyone admired my shine.”
The sneaker replied:
“And I was praised for my endurance. I became synonymous with extreme sports.”
“I attend the finest parties.”
“I contemplate wider horizons.”
“I walk among the important ones.”
“And I walk alongside those who cover great distances.”
And so they continued.
Each sentence was an attempt to prove that its existence mattered more than the other’s.
The argument stretched into the early hours of the morning.
Until, in a corner of the shelf, a sleepy voice interrupted the dispute.
It was an old slipper.
“Could you both stop this conversation?”
The shoe and the sneaker turned toward it.
“And why should we?” asked the shoe.
“Because you are arguing about something you don’t understand.”
They looked at each other.
The sneaker then challenged him:
“And what would you know about it? You never leave the house.”
The slipper smiled.
“Precisely because of that.”
The two fell silent.
“You boast about the places you have visited,” he said to the sneaker. “And you take pride in the people you have met,” he added, addressing the shoe. “But both of you only know the madam when she is dressed to face the world.”
Neither of them replied.
The slipper continued:
“You accompany her when she plays roles. When she needs to impress. When she wants to be admired. I do not.”
He paused briefly.
“I am the one who receives her when she returns exhausted. I am the one present in the silent nights. I am the one who witnesses her tears, her fears, her doubts, and her dreams.”
The closet fell into deep silence.
“You know the image she presents to the world,” the slipper continued. “I know the woman who exists when no one is watching.”
Neither of them had an answer.
And, for the first time that night, they understood that there are places more important than red carpets and intense journeys.
There are paths that lead into the interior of a soul.
And they cannot be walked with vanity alone.
https://digitalmehmet.com/author/rschumaher
Connect wih me via my website, Medium and LinkedIn
Leave a Reply