Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
The Island of Misfit Shoes
Remember the 1964 holiday classic, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? In it, Rudolph and his pals are stranded on an island of “misfit” toys—playthings that are somehow “off” or “wrong.” In the end, of course, Santa finds homes for all of them. Sometimes I suspect that that is what people think the Goodwill is—a place where all the stuff that never worked for us can go and magically find someone who needs exactly that thing. I want to believe, but I have doubts.
I found myself fantasizing about an Island of Misfit Shoes: a place where all the shoes that were comfortable in the store, but were too tight or too high or too stiff once you got them home could go, and be united with their perfect foot—like Cinderella in reverse. Shoes tend to be a particular problem for my clients, and for me. Sometimes, it takes a few wears to realize that they really aren’t going to work, and even then you wonder if (or wish) they just need to be a little more broken in. Worse, it’s hard to part with shoes because often they are more expensive than clothes. But giving them to the Island of Misfit Shoes (aka the Goodwill) is the best we can do.
Sadly, life rarely turns out as well as holiday specials. The best we can do is be cautious consumers so that we don’t end up with a lot of misfits in the first place.