is anyone out there???

Community shoes.

At my parents' house there are an assortment of shoes in the entry way. We just take off our shoes and leave them there. And, when we are in a hurry and it's time to leave, we just slip on the closest pair and go.

Last night, I needed to go pick up my kids and my sister decided to come along. She tried on a pair of black sandals by the door. "Wow, these are so comfortable," she commented while she walked around the living room.

"They aren't mine. They must be one of Jenny's girls." There really were a lot of shoes by the front door. "I'm sure they won't mind if you wear them," I assured her as we walked to the garage door. Walking past the couch on the way out, she called out, "Thanks for letting me wear your shoes."

Both girls looked up. "Sure, but they aren't ours." My sister and I looked at each other blankly before remembering that there were a couple people talking to my parents in the other room. Surely they hadn't taken their shoes off and left them in the entry way! We snuck over and peeked through the door but had to run away because we kept laughing so hard. Finally we saw that the woman sitting at the table with my parents was indeed barefoot.

My sister took the shoes off and tried to arrange them exactly as they had been. I swear we laughed so hard I almost peed my pants. I could just imagine my parents walking their guests to the door. Then the woman looking around and not finding her shoes..."Um, I'm sure I wore shoes here!" It's a good thing we didn't leave with them still on! I guess it's the chance you take when you leave your shoes unattended.