The DV Walking Wounded

These particular shoes were my favorite pair of Converse All Star Chuck Taylors, or “Chucks” as I call them. I love Converse tennis shoes! They are my favorite and have been since I was in about third grade.

As a child, Converse were the “inexpensive” shoes, but then again Levi’s were the “less expensive” jeans. They are not, I am sad to report, presently, but I digress. I started picking these shoes because my friends wore them and I wanted to fit in; of course, most of my friends were boys and I was a tomboy, always running around after them.

As a teen, I loved them still. My Mom could not understand why I still wanted them, as she begged me to get something “girly.” I conceded and got a pink pair of Chucks, to appease my Mom, but that became one of my favorite pairs. I even started collecting Chucks in all colors and styles!

I have tried to wear them as I’ve gotten older, but I discovered a truth that I was in denial about my ENTIRE life: There is NO arch support inside Chucks, nor are there ANY cushioning. Wearing these nowadays is next to impossible, for more than an hour or two. I’ve done so much complaining, because I love the look of Chucks, that Converse must have heard us “old timers.” I recently bought a pair that were stretchy and gray and had foam inserts that were like walking on a cloud…SO, it’s back to Chucks and 501’s for this Nana!

The picture above was from 2015, when I was in active abuse. My Chucks have lead me out of abuse and out on my own, where I am safe, surviving, thriving, and healing! I think in that above picture, we were on our way to NYC. I had my feet on the dash, only to take a picture of the beginning of our journey, only to get yelled at and shoved. He was an semi-truck driver and I was just excited I got to ride along! Those Chucks took me to see the Statue of Liberty and the WTC Memorial. I wished I still had them — they survived SO much!