Instant Repair

Oh if only things were this easy.

A long time ago I used to write with a different format about my adventures in the big city. It's been a long time since I've even looked at these pieces but I wanted to revive them for all of you. 

This is a piece I published on a Wordpress site with a similar site name. It was about an adventure in Instant Repair. and a reflection on perspective. I hope that you like the story and please let me know if you'd like to see more posts in this format and style. 

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8:48am  4.11.12

Scene: Fifth and Spring, downtown Los Angeles

In the morning after stillness something still was a bit amiss.  Why did I catch myself almost not wearing those new boots today as I left the house?  It was probably nothing.  Or, I’d thought it was nothing.

For a few moments on the bus amongst the chatter in two different languages I found myself fading a bit into the background with thought.  So many questions.  So many answers.  So much… placidity.

I walked past my favorite boutique on the way to work.  The clink and clatter of my jingle boots on the marbled colored sidewalk seemed to echo a bit louder as I glanced into the storefront window.

Something was just… off.

I continued to Broadway.  To the old theatre where I try to take pictures of the birds.  There was an additional clomp to the jingle.

“Please don’t let that be what I think it is.  I just bought these less than a week ago.”

Sure enough the heel was coming off.

“Wonderful.”

I didn’t stop.  

I kept going.  

There’s a shoe repair near work.  I remember walking past it.  It’ll be fine.

The signs would tell me that this would be “Instant!”  I kept optimistic.  I would take care of it at lunch.  I’m capable of handling it.  No problem.

But later today I would find that it was quite the opposite and yet, not at the same time.

“The shoe will be ready tomorrow.” the shopkeeper told me at lunch.

“The sign says instant though.  What am I supposed to do?  Walk around on a broken heel all day?  It will probably fall off before then..”

“I’m sorry but that’s all we can do.”

I just bought those shoes spontaneously… and now I was forced to buy another pair of shoes spontaneously whilst those got repaired.

And I thought about things a bit more.  About the greater picture in this small picture.  How would this problem (and other things like it and more) have affected me a year ago?

I smiled at the woman behind the counter as she handed me the box for my new pair of purple Converse.

“I wanted new Cons anyway but this isn’t how I’d expected the purchase to be… nor the ones I thought I’d be buying… but it works.”

“I hope your day gets better.”the clerk said with a laugh.

“It is exactly how it was supposed to be.”

And in that moment I felt pride.  I was happy and amazed how fluidly things just were to be fixed.

"Maybe all of these things in need of repair are a sign of something.  But maybe, just maybe they’re also a sign that I’m getting better at repairing them.. “instantly.”