Dick's Shocking Pink Shoes

Vero Beach Public Library
No LL

Both Libby and I are Crocs fans. We wear our Crocs almost 24x7x365. They are cool, ventilated, oil-resistant, mildew-resistant, washable, give good traction, and are very comfortable.

The only trouble is that the molded-in tread ridges on the bottom of the soles doesn't last long. Once the treads are worn smooth, they become slick and dangerous to wear on the deck of a boat. That means that we frequently have to buy new Crocs and to find something to do with the old ones. The obvious solution is to wear new Crocs on the boat, and old ones on shore where traction is not so important. Trouble is, we never managed to get in the habit of changing shoes when we go ashore. We're constantly forgetting.

Last spring I found Crocs on sale in a West Marine store for $19.99. That's great. They ususally cost $29.95 and are seldom on sale. Needless to say, the store had only a limited supply of sizes and colors. The only pair my size were shocking pink in color.

Shocking pink shoes are not the kind of fashion statement a macho guy like me wants to make. "No problem," I thought, "I'll use the pink ones only on the boat, and wear the blue ones ashore. Besides, the pink color will make it impossible for me to forget to change. Nobody will ever see me in them." So I bought them.

The first time I forgot to change the pink shoes was up in Maine. Nick was on board with us. He thought it best to not warn me of my mistake. In fact he thought it was hilarious to send his grandfather ashore in pink shoes.

Several times since then I forgot to change again. It's a hard habit to learn.

This Saturday when we arrived in Vero, I saw my bunch of Vero friends holding down the porch in front of the sailor's lounge. They are like the four friends on that King Of The Hill show. They sit there kibitzing month after month. I waved at them from a distance and was pleased to see that they recognized me. I hadn't seen them in six months. When I got with 100 feet of them, I expected to hear them say, "Welcome back Dick." Instead I heard one of them shout "Great shoes Dick."