Peelers

“My shoes – they’re still wet inside,” I whined.

“Why?”

“I walked after the rain yesterday.  And the soles are, you know, peeling. So water seeped inside.  I thought they’d dry out overnight, but they didn’t.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are the soles peeling?”

“Because.  They just are.”

“They’re old.”

“Not THAT old.  Just worn."  I paused.  "They're peelers”

“You’re very hard on shoes.”

“Yes, I am.  I always have been.”

“If these are shot, then go buy new ones.”

“That’s just it.  I don’t want to be spending money on new shoes all the time.”

“So you wear ones with peeling soles that get wet inside.”

“Yes.”

There wasn’t much else to add at this point.

“You’re very hard on shoes,” he repeated, not knowing what else to say.

“I am.  I work hard and play hard.  My fingernails are always wearing down, too. I’m just hard on myself,” I nodded with a grin.

“Your shoes prove it.”

“Yes, they do.”

“Like a badge.”

“Of honor.”

“Of hard walking.”

“Of hard something.” 

“Of a hard-core, hard-headed… ”

“Oh stop it!”

That was the end of a pointless and yet confirming conversation that verified what I already knew: I’m hard on shoes.  Really, really hard on shoes.  I go through a decent quality pair twice as fast as another person wearing the same brand.  I don’t know why this is so.  It just is.