The Shoes

It’s morning, and once again, I can’t believe I’m supposed to get up and run—this has been my elusive goal for the past three months. But today’s different. Today, guilt has a new name: Nike. I couldn’t let those shiny new sneakers, gifted to me with love and high hopes, sit there unworn any longer. So, I laced them up, mostly to avoid the shame of neglecting them, and headed out the door.

I managed to rack up about 5,200 steps around my neighborhood. The usual route, but something was different this time. Normally, when I run, it’s like I’m a ghost—no one notices me, no one waves, let alone says hello. But today? Oh, today was different. Suddenly, I was the most popular jogger on the block. People smiled, waved, said “Hi!” as they ran past me. Could it be? Was it the shoes?

I think the shoes might have magical powers. Day one of my journey to lose 20kg, and it looks like the shoes are already working harder than I am. Thanks for the gift! They really did get me out of bed!