Bezjian: Tales of Long Lost Soles

Another wonderful piece, Baron Nigol. I see all your experiences with shoes hasn’t left you tongue-tied.

My minds eye is swimming with visions of shoes of all kinds through all ages.  I would not think the subject of shoes, some of which were like gloves to feet, could inspire so many lively scenarios.  They certainly were entertaining and creative. 

Fortunately in my case I have only two scenarios. One concerning my shoes and one concerning my right foot. 

When I was a young  Boy Scout I went to summer camp for the first time (and the only time as it turned out).    My mother warned me to take pains not to lose my only pair of good shoes.  So on passing the waterfront tests my buddy and I took to a canoe.  So as not to lose my shoes I carefully placed them in the canoe.  Who was to know that in a few moments the canoe would tip over in the water as though a giant hand had flipped it out of some spite. 

Bad enough we were banned from the waterfront for the rest of the entire week, but it was the time of the great depression and I didn’t have the means to buy a moccasin kit.  So my shoes were my socks!  Not for just a day but the whole week.   

The hardest part was at assembly which was in full uniform but I without shoes stuck out like a sore thumb (or rather big toe!).  Of course I was embarrased and have felt naked.  But somehow I got through it and nobody said anything nor did they offer to buy me a one dollar moccasin kit.

Many years later I started having recurring dreams of suddenly realizing I was at this, that or some other social event and looking down saw myself as being naked or partially undressed etc..

Soon enough I was grown up, married and had my first car at age 26.  Now I started having recurring dreams of driving with no control whatsoever over the car!!  It was frightening because I could crash at any time but at least I had clothes on!

These 2 recurring dreams happened right up to the age of 50 or so when I came across Dr. Freud’s book, “On the Interpretation of Dreams”.  I looked at the Table of Contents and seeing a chapter on “Recurring Dreams” I quickly turned to it. 

And almost as soon as I read the first sentence “Look to your youth for recurring dreams”, I knew the source of my problems!   I had a flash back of losing my shoes and how embarassed I felt. That had to be it!  I don’t know which would have been worse: Not having shoes or wearing “mandolin cases”?

I also recalled a childhood experience while visiting relatives on 9th Street in Troy, NY. I was put into the position of not being able to control a car I had put in motion under orders from the block bully.  “Hey, you want to play the game or not?”

It was my turn to get into this old straight back car parked at the curb and to “press down on that floor pedal”.  Suddenly the car jerked forward and I was headed right for the parked car in front of me which I was sure to hit,  and I screamed with fright not knowing what to do but at the same time wanting to be accepted by playing the “game” as ordered!          

At the last second  the bully of an older boy yelled to me to get my foot off the starter pedal!! 

Now, suddenly in a flash I understood what was behind my recurring dreams and I did not experience them thereafter!  Thank you Dr. Freud