Just A Matter Of Time

It was only a matter of time I suppose. No physical body can exist in that sphere of activity and sustain itself forever. Surely it would give out before its time.

Do you realize what you are seeing? It only took an initial purchase and an afterthought for me to realize. You see before you a pair of size 9 deep brown leather loafers with a rubber sole. Classy enough for work and durable enough for play.

I purchased them on Saturday for my attendance that evening at two consecutive "white" parties. Don't ask. Of course I was kind about the title they invoked in the naming of their parties. In any case, I have never owned very many shoes in my life that might be considered a loafer save the pair of black ones I received in my early teens which managed to crawl their way to the back of my closet to die a slow death. They were resurrected some 18 months later in one of my mother's annual closet sweeps which reaped massive benefits for the local Goodwill.

A pair of basic browns spelled out a new era in life. I am growing old. July 10 saw me turn the clock forward 27 years and some change. The things which once held so much sway over my life approach now cease to hold even my most base interest.

The thrill of chasing about behind random women; the allure of the newest and latest sound in music; and the desire to create a tastemaker of myself in the realm of fashion have all lost their flavor.

Now I just want to lounge in the comfort of a khaki suit in my deep brown loafers and wonder why Frankie Beverly can improve the mood of any jam session while leading up the playlist with an order of MF Doom, Prince, Madlib, and Miles in the comfort three or four other random souls.

Don't get me wrong. I still love an impromptu street race with the cretin at the light who is attempting to cut me off in traffic as much as the next man, but I am no longer attached to that outcome enough to consider it any further than the next stop sign. I can also still play a mean game of ultimate frisbee and at least stave off defeat for a short while in a grappling match.

At the end of the day, I now understand that my youthful vigor and vibrance will not be maintained because I allow myself to be tethered to what I did 5 years ago, but in the spirit of enjoyment, laughter, and playfulness that I bring to others who are a part of my life. All it took to realize this lesson was a pair of deep brown, rubber soled leather loafers size 9.