Steven Palmer

In my opinion, people shouldn’t need to have more than 5 pairs of shoes. That is the rule that I had lived by for 25 years until I got my first office job. After I got the job, I realized that I needed more shoes because I didn’t have any dress shoes in the collection. So, I went to a <= 10 pairs of shoes rule. I have lived by this rule for 4+ years now.

On Friday I bought a new pair of running shoes at Fleet Feet. Nice shoes. I can already tell they are going to help me alot. However this morning when I was putting the shoes in the closet for the first time, I made a startling observation. I am no longer living up to the <= 10 pair shoe rule. What happened? How did I let this happen? How can anybody need more than 10 pairs of shoes???

Here is my current shoe inventory:
1. Everyday tennis shoes
2. Casual tennis shoes
3. Yardwork tennis shoes
4. Casual brown shoes
5. Dress brown shoes
6. Dress black shoes
7. Golf shoes
8. Bowling shoes
9. Hunting boots
10. Hunting rain boots
11. Running shoes

This is craziness… I am looking through the list and I don’t see any shoes that I don’t need anymore. Maybe the bowling shoes, but I refuse to wear the community bowling shoes at the bowling alley so those must stay.

I could move to a <= 15 pairs of shoes rule, but that doesn’t make sense because I really don’t need that many pairs of shoes (which is exactly what I said 4 years ago about the 10 pairs of shoes). Plus, then I would have to go out and buy more shelving for the closet to store the shoes in. So, I am going to move to a <= 12 pairs of shoes rule. I still have a slot open for the 12th pair. That is the only logic choice that I can see.

I know most people wouldn’t even think twice about the number of shoes, let alone have a shoe rule. I guess I am just weird…

Gateway Greening is one of four non-profit finalists for What Do You Care About TODAY?, a contest sponsored by the NBC® TODAY Show and the Pepsi Refresh Project granting one winning organization $100,000!  Nominated by a volunteer, we were chosen from over 700 non-profits nationally.  The organization with the most vote wins.  Please Vote TODAY!

How to Vote Online: Go to http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38027143/and choose Gateway Greening from the videos. Submit your Vote by viewing the brief Gateway Greening video, clicking “Submit Vote” and then clicking “yes” to confirm your vote. The designation “*Your pick” will show up under the video player confirming your selection.

The TODAY Show featured Gateway Greening’s City Seeds Urban Farm, located in the heart of St. Louis right off Pine Street. The Farm produces affordable, locally grown food on land provided by MODOT. Its farmers, receiving comprehensive services provided by St. Patrick Center, are either currently dealing with or at risk of chronic homelessness, substance abuse or mental illness.

The Voting Period ends on July 6 at 8 p.m. CST. The winning organization will be announced July 7 live on the TODAY Show.  If we win, the prize money will help us do more at City Seeds Urban Farm: more farmers, year-round farming, and as a result, more jobs.
Please forward this e-mail, invite all your friends to share on Facebook and tweet the link on Twitter! We need your VOTE to show what WE care about TODAY!

Thank you,

The Gateway Greening Gang

2211 Washington Ave.

St. Louis, MO 63103

Ph 314.588.9600 x26

Fax 314.588.9600

www.gatewaygreening.org