Reasons to buy shoes

I got these new shoes recently (with big thanks to my cousin and aunt) and it got me thinking about material possessions and how we feel about acquiring "stuff." We've all had that feeling before, the excitement of buying new clothes or accessories (girls) or getting a fresh pair of kicks (guys) and then thinking about that item for the rest of the day. But where does the source of the excitement come from?

Some of it comes from the fact that we like to impress others and look good. That's the obvious reason.Outward appearances are easier to change. They reflect your own personality. Sometimes they get you noticed and complimented, boosting your self image.

Which leads to a second possibility, which is self confidence. I know I'd act a lot different if I were wearing pajamas versus khaki pants and a nice polo. One makes me self-conscious and embarrassed, the other makes me outgoing and energetic. And I find that happens even when I'm home alone and no one is there to judge my clothing. If I wear pajamas the whole day I feel lazy and lounge around like a slob, as opposed to changing into jeans and nice shirt (clothes I'd wear to school) and feeling like I can actually sit down and accomplish something.

There could be various other reasons. The bargain-compulsive buyer, for example, loves to buy "good deals" and feel like they're getting the most out of their money, even if they don't need that particular item. They simply like the feeling of getting a "good buy." I suppose (and I'm not 100% sure on this just yet) that's why girls think shopping is a lot of fun, though I'm pretty sure it's a combination of all the above.

So yeah, now I have new shoes. I bought them for all the reasons above, plus the fact that I just needed a new pair. Am I over-thinking all this? Absolutely. But maybe if you're the type who overspends on buying clothing, you'll really think about why you're buying something next time. And oh, I just thought of another reason someone could be buying a pair of shoes. My cousin recently told me about a brand called TOMS, which promises to send one pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair that you buy. Now that's just an awesome reason to buy shoes.

Be Confident

It was the week of try outs that were held for JV soccer at our school. I was an upcoming freshman, good but not a star on the field, and to be honest, I was a little bit nervous. Our JV consists of both 9th and 10th graders, and though I was friendly with most of the sophomores, I knew most of them were still stronger and faster than me. Try outs went pretty smoothly- passing, foundations, keep away, I held my own and was even looking pretty good. But I wanted to impress the coach during the scrimmage. We moved the goals in and divided into three teams that rotated in and out. My team went in first. I played pretty well, especially in front of the other team and our coach that was watching, but then came the defining moment. All I remember was that I beat a defender, cut to the right, was within shooting range of the goal... and then passed it to a teammate.

Whistle. Play stopped and everyone froze. (You ever get that moment of plummeting dread because you know you're in trouble? Yup, that was it right there.)

"Mr. Lee, why didn't you shoot the ball?" I was trying to think of an answer while everyone was looking on. I said something about my teammate having a better chance of scoring than I did.

"I asked you why you didn't shoot the ball." I said I didn't know.

 "You do want to score?" Yes, I mumbled.

 "So why didn't you shoot?" I was probably turning bright red but I tried to remain stone-faced- I thought of the most reasonable and honest answer I could. I told him I didn't shoot because I wasn't confident enough.

"You weren't confident enough," my coach repeated. "Then get off the field," he promptly said. I walked to the sideline and sat out for the rest of the scrimmage.

That's still the story I remember to this day. A lot of things in life take confidence- taking a standardized test under time pressure, competing in any sort of sport, playing music at a concert, performing a solo, going to an interview... the list goes on and on. It's another "skill" that has to be trained because most people, like me, aren't born with it. Being a striker with a lot of skill but no confidence doesn't lead to goals. Likewise, a striker with confidence but no skill to back it up just comes across as arrogant. My JV coach made me a better player- harsh on me during try outs, but teaching me a lot throughout the season. He taught me how to be aggressive but not nasty. Confident on the ball but not cocky. And as a striker, I learned, it was okay to take chances. Be risky and mess up a few times. I started to shoot more, from farther away, and at every chance that I got. Some were terrible, going way over the crossbar or driveling on the ground for an easy save. But some were good- I scored goals. "The shot that you never take has a 0% chance of going in," my coach told me. "So have confidence and shoot the ball."

I'm remembering all this because soccer season officially starts tomorrow for me. Sure, I'm still a bit nervous about going through tryouts (even though it's my returning year for Varsity), but being able to hang out with my teammates again makes it a lot better. For anyone else out there who's starting a Fall sport, or even if you're daunted by another year of school, just remember to have confidence. In soccer, it's the one thing I have to work most on. It's something to remember on- and off- the field.