sneaker conflict

i spent 5 hours yesterday shopping for the perfect pair of basketball shoes. considering the fact that i buy new shoes every 8 years, there was a lot riding on the purchase. after visiting every shoe store on Steinway St. I finally had it narrowed down to this pair:

it seemed to match all the criteria - affordable, plain, no strange plastic shell, laces, decent ankle support.

i thought the white n' red pair were pretty cool but i have a real problem buying white shoes. they're just so damn white when they're new. the blinding whiteness hurts my eyes and i feel foolish walking around in a world where this degree of whiteness does not exist. in years past i would roll them around in dirt, but i just dont have the time for that now.

so the natural solution would have been to buy the pair in black, always the better option of the two. here's where i encountered the conflict -- the white/red pair were $60. the black pair were $80. a $20 price hike for color????? i spent hours holding the two shoes in my hands, feeling completely lost and conflicted, realizing that i would have to live with my decision for 8 years. in the end i settled on the white/red pair. sometime in the 5th hour i reached an epiphany -- i simply do not care as much about my personal appearance as i used to. i could live with these hideously white shoes and deal with the mocking looks and whispered insults from strangers.

now that i have learned to love and accept my decision, i feel exceptionally excited about the next MAMBA game, which could be tomorrow in Jackson Heights.

on a completely different note, i have to say how awesome it is that our president is a basketball lover. politics aside, i feel great knowing our nation's leader appreciates the game. i may send a letter to the white house informing him about MAMBA.

neal