Let me start off by warning all of you readers: This is a very self-indulgent blog entry and basically is being written to prove a point to my family.
So how many of you love positive re enforcement?
I sure love it and in my family positive re enforcement is another fancy word for bribe. I have basically been raised on brides and let me tell you first hand, they most certainly work.
If I have the possibility of getting the sparkly new dress I saw in the window at the mall for an A+ on an English paper, you can be damn sure I am going to work 10 times harder for that A+. Some people might say I am a little bit spoiled but there is nothing wrong with a little “positive re enforcement” here and there.
My father Rick is the one I go to for the best bribes. He bribes me with shoes so I look good. I bribe him with good grades so he looks like an excellent father. (Which he is by the way.)
This is a good unspoken deal we have had worked out. This has always worked fantastically and I am a very big advocate of bribing your kids as well as your parents. Give it a try sometime, you’ll find out it’s a win/ win for everyone.
So the other day I come home after completing a self-paced math class I have been in for the past three quarters at Foothill that I was sure was going to be the death of me.
I was very excited by this news and so were my parents. I emailed my father:
“Hello Daddy, (always use cute words when bribing)
As you recall I finished my math class, here is a link to the Mellissa and Vivienne Westwood shoes I would like. Wouldn’t they look fabulous on my feet?
Do you like gold or pink better? Love you
-Katy”
(This picture does not show the colors I was referring too.)
Don’t get me wrong, I realize what you just read makes me sound like the biggest spoiled brat in the world. Yes, I am a tad bit spoiled but lets look beyond that for the sake of the point I am trying to get across.
Anyway, I didn’t get a response from Rick. The next day I asked him if he had gotten my email…. He had. His response was “Listen Katy, I don’t mind positive re enforcement but you have so many pairs for shoes, you don’t really wear all of them.”
This is the quote that is most important: “you have so many pairs for shoes, you don’t really wear all of them.”
Yes, I actually do wear all of them. Over the next few weeks after every blog entry there is going to be a little part about the shoes I wore that week. The kind of shoe, how comfortable, how reliable. I feel not only will this prove my point but it will also make me more conscious about what kind of shoe or heel to look for.
I have 55 pairs of shoes at this point in time. I plan on trying to wear all of them in the next few months.
This week I wore these beautiful heels I found at Wasteland in the city. They have fabulous detail on them and are surprisingly comfortable even though they are a tight fit. I wore them for about two hours then got a pretty big blister on my heel but that what I get for not wearing tights or nylons with them.
These black “creepers” would most likely be seen on a super cool rockabilly chick. If only I could pull that off. I do love these, love the height they give, I do look quite awkward walking around in them though. They are very comfortable and remind me of the 1990s. What could be better then letting my un-combed hair down and dancing in these shoes to No Doubt? Probably nothing.
Last but not least, these sparkly, magical things I actually did get on a bribe. Boy do I love them! Today I wore them for 8 hours straight. My “dogs started barking” about 15 minuets before I took them off. That’s a pretty good run if you ask me! I’m sure it’s the thick fat heel that makes them comfy. What else can I say about them? I feel like such an out of this world diva while walking down the street in them.
So that’s three down and 52 pairs left to go. I will hopefully get all of them in by September.
Wish me luck? Try to look past the stubborn spoiled side of this. It’s now a fun challenge that will bring more knowledge about my feet.
-Katy
oh katy, you and your shoes.
ReplyDeleteWell certainly an interesting post. I agree that positive reinforcement is a far better tool than negative reinforcement to get people to do what you want. However, I also agree with your father that you may have too many shoes.
ReplyDelete55 pairs at one pair of shoes a day is roughly the same as going 2 months without wearing the same pair of shoes twice. I admit that would be two short months and also in your case you may wear 2 or more pairs of shoes a day because of changing your outfit for various reasons.
Now I know that in your case your shoes are used as a fashion accessory rather than for the function of preventing your feet from being exposed to environmental hazards however at a certain point the necessity of having more shoes becomes questionable.
And I'm using necessity very loosely, in this case I mean whether or not you wouldn't already have a pair of shoes which could successfully round out your outfit already.
Anywho I really can't understand, I have maybe 6 pairs of shoes each with a specific purpose, none of which is for fashion, except two pairs of pseudo tennis shoes where one is a replacement for the other because it's gotten old and raggedy.
It took me awhile, even after coming into womanhood, but I finally understand shoes. Shoes are incredible. Shoes always fit, no matter how much weight you gain or lose. You need to wear shoes every day, unlike any other accessory. Shoes tell you what kind of day you're going to have. They say whether you're feeling sexy or sporty or edgy or childlike. Some shoes make you work at wearing them, some shoes makes you feel like dancing. As far as fashion goes, shoes are almost more important than clothes themselves. Almost.
ReplyDeleteAn anecdote for anyone aghast at how many shoes you own: I had a friend in middle school (MIDDLE SCHOOL!) who told me she had over 100 pairs of shoes. And I'm estimating downward. It might have been more than 200. So while 55 is much more than I own (I just counted and I have around 25 pairs) it's not all that uncommon.
By the way, are the glittery shoes the ones from Modcloth that you told me about? I wish I saw them in person!
Here's an idea to help with the bribe/ positive reinforcement/ Daddy: as you try the shoes and identify ones that don't really work anymore for whatever reason, donate them to a worthy cause. Shows responsibility, social awareness, and clears space for new ones so you don't actually go over the amount you now have.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post BTW. I found it thoughtful, humorous and insightful, especially the part about bribes working both ways. And I have to say I LOVE the shoes you picked for Dad out to buy. Just saying!
Hi Katy Kate, Great blog...thoughtful and fun. I know that you work hard for your money and that you save as well as spend on clothes yourself. You don't just get $$ from your parents! Do you reward/bribe yourself to get through things...i.e., if I pass this class I will buy myself this cute pair of shoes?
ReplyDeleteOh psh! Only 55 for such a fashionable lady? I'm not any sort of fashionista and I have at LEAST 45 pairs (I just looked around and counted 43, but I know I have at least 2 pairs tucked away, probably more like 5).
ReplyDeleteThose Viv shoes are cool, and I like the paisley-esque ones too.
ReplyDeletehowever, lots of the current in style shoes are horrid...glad you're going your own way
Those sparkly magical things are something else!
ReplyDeleteChallenge: Wear a different pair of high heels OUTSIDE AT GLYNNSPRING for at least an hour each day you're at the family reunion ("outside" being the operative word).
As to positive reinforcement, if you meet the challenge, besides your keeping up with your pair-a-day pace, I'll weigh in with your Mom to give you a special gold medal. :-)
How is the pair-a-day challenge going? We need an update!
ReplyDeleteahh its coming! no need to fret! haha
ReplyDelete