How Does a Story Become a Story?
This hilarious memory from 5 years ago popped up on my FB page today about the insanity of shoe shopping with my husband. That real-life incident became the inspiration for a short story, Nick and Amy Go Shoe Shopping and is a perfect example of how there are stories all around us just dying to be told. And if you're wondering...the pairs of shoes Scott bought that day are the ones he wears to this very day.
The Post:
The questions I might ask myself when buying new shoes:
1. Are they cute?
2. Are they comfy?
3.Are they a reasonable price.
Done. Purchased. Don't think about it again.
The questions my hubby, who buys approximately one new pair of shoes every ten years under protest asks himself when buying shoes:
1. Are they comfortable?
2. How much?
3. Can I wear these with 99% of my dress clothes and/or a swimming suit?
4. Could they double as running shoes if I needed them to?
5. If a fire breaks out at work, will I be able to run out of the building without getting a blister from these loafers?
6. Am I sure I can't just patch my current shoes with the hole in the sole?
7. If I bend my foot in a weird way, will the shoe crease and become ruined before ten years are up?
8. Do I have shoe polish at home that will also match this shoe because that might be a deal breaker if I have to buy another color shoe polish?
9. Can I do a cartwheel in these shoes? Not that I do them, but could I if I so chose?
10. Is my wife dead in the corner from watching me try on shoes for an hour and/ or will she kill me dead if I don't make a decision soon?
The Story:
Nick & Amy are my favorites. If you haven't guessed already, they are loosely based on another couple you might know who I won't name, but rhymes with Schmeitzes. Many of these stories stemmed from real-life incidents that happened to that couple you know and then I may have massaged, tweaked, and embellished just a wee bit to make it funnier. Except the Mexico story. That happened exactly as I wrote it. Exactly.
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