When I was a kid, I really wanted a pair of Vans. I fancied myself a skater (I was most definitely not – ask me about how I broke my arm twice if we ever meet somewhere) and Vans were the shoes for those who thrashed. Sadly, my parents would never get me a pair.
Quick sidenote: my parents are both very loving and hardworking individuals. This is not even remotely intended as a dig against them for not buying a teenager some very expensive sneakers. As a parent myself, I get it.
So I went through my whole life with no Vans. I would see other people with Vans, and 14 year old me got a little jealous.
Then, sadly quite recently, I realized that I am a 45-year old grown man. I can buy my own Vans if I want.
And so I did.
This, of course, is not a call to arms to buy comfortable shoes. It is a reminder to not hang onto decisions you made years ago. At that time, you made the best decision you could and for one reason or another the time might not have been right.
But maybe the time is…