A Runner's Shoes

     There are things in life that have meaning to us for short periods of time, as well as things that hold great memories that are in pristine condition. Many similar objects can be found in most homes, whether it be an urn of a loved one’s ashes or photos and family portraits that preserve memories.  But often times there are those objects that are in rough shape and have definitely seen their better days, but the owner of these objects simply cannot part with it. Often these objects are a childhood blanket or teddy bear. We’ve all got that one object that we can simply never part with.

            My ‘object’ is a pair of running shoes. Yes, I have outgrown them. Yes, they have seen better days. But for me, it is so much more than that. These shoes I wore my senior year of high school. I wore these shoes when we won the league. I wore these shoes when we lost All-Catholics. I wore these shoes when we finished 1^st place in New York State at Nike Regionals. I even wore these shoes when I went undefeated in the 800 meters and became the league champion.

            These shoes are neon blue with green strips. They are torn on the sides. I have bled in them, sweat in them, and even cried in them. Defeat can be tough. These shoes hold a lot of memories, and I know that I can always look at them and think back to all of the great memories I had in them. These shoes helped me get to where I am today and that is a Division 1 Collegiate athlete at Canisius College.

            And if the memories aren’t enough, when I finally wore the shoes for the last time and retired them, I had all of the fellow runners sign the shoes. My seven other varsity senior teammates are preserved in the memory that lies within the shoes. It is not the shoes that hold sentimental value, but the memories that came with it.