Way back in the day I had a good friend who kept her eyes open for me every time she went shopping. She and I went shopping a lot. A lot. I mean A LOT. It was the 90s, and we had fat corporate jobs and no responsibilities. I hadn’t yet acquired the stifling grad school student loans that I am drowning in now. Cathy knew me and knew my taste. She had impeccable taste herself and was drawn to the hunt of the bargain. The things she bought me or put aside for me never disappointed. These were the days before email, text messages, and cell phones. Cathy used to buzz me on our inner office phone to tell me when and what she had put aside for me at Dayton’s, TJMaxx, or the Saks outlet.
We worked together in the financial world, and it was at a time when we had to dress up for business. It was just beyond the time of dark suits and nude panty hose (I was once sent home from a job on the Hill for not wearing hose. I’m brown. It was hot. No need for hose. The stiff Congressional office didn’t care. But that’s another story.). Cathy and I worked in a time that women could actually start expressing themselves through fashion. We shed our dowager suits and let our hair down. Color entered the work force around this time. I remember indulging in a hot pink Tahari silk suit. It was bright alright. My shopping pal was out and about one day on her lunch break and found the perfect shoes to go with this bright suit. She knew me well and put the shoes on hold under my name at Dayton’s, the department store that abutted our office in downtown Minneapolis. They were the perfect patent black pump with an ever so smallish heal. Cathy knew my intolerance for high heels. The shoes are long gone and I only recently parted with the suit. But I remember my friend fondly. We lost touch after many moves.
Today a friend texted me to share some similar shopping love. We had seen each other over the weekend so she knew what I was keeping my eyes open for. It turns out she was looking for the same thing. And it just so happens my friend was out and about today and saw exactly what I have been looking for. I heard the telltale beep of a text message coming into my phone. My friend sent a text message saying she found what I needed. I dropped everything and was on my way.
There are many things that depict the change in my life since my shopping halcyon days with Cathy. Nothing quite captures it like what I rushed off to buy today. A teak shower bench.
It’s not shoes, but in a twist of maturity, I’m pretty excited about it. Color me old.