02.06.08 - 10:39 am

i walked looking at my feet this morning. the washed, light blue of my jeans, fashionably contrasting with the brown of my shoes. salt encrusted on them in stains of lighter and darker hues. scuffs and dirt mar what used to be a pretty fancy pair of shoes. julie cringes when she sees them, but i enjoy the used look they provide. i enjoy this because it reminds me of my fathers shoes.

i remember the day he came to my elementary school. i was a third grader i believe, teaching first graders about earth worms. he showed up, very late of course, to bring me my red earth worm box. his large boots were caked in mud. filthy.

jeans and dirty shoes. that was his style. mud and cement always layered his shoes. to me, this was a testament to how hard he worked. it meant accomplishment. the same way i enjoy cuts and abrasions all over my hands when setting up my fish tanks. i can show off a mild display of dedication and hard work.

i think i would rather be part of the working class than the business suit class.

"you got city hands, mr cooper. youve been countin' money your whole life."