Dad always said, “Leave your shoes at the door.” NOT! He said, “If you leave your shoes by the front door I’m going to throw them into the street.” Although he said this often, he has never to my knowledge 
followed through on the threat. Why he was so vehemently against shoes left by the door, unless he was concerned about someone tripping on them, remains a mystery. And since I did not think to ask him this question before he passed, unless he whispers the answer to me in my sleep, I’ll probably live out my days not knowing.
My motorcycle Papa.
Please do not misunderstand or judge him harshly, he was a kind man. He cared about what others thought and said (sometimes). His family came first. He worked hard, played hard, had close friends, was a good brother and son. He wasn’t especially finicky except in regard to shoes placed by the door and the misplacement of his tools.
Dad with coffee. Must be where I get it from!
Perhaps his shoe annoyance came from living in poverty and not having the opportunity to have multiple shoes left anywhere, perhaps it came from living in a small space with a lot of people so that tidiness mattered, or perhaps my grandmother believed evil spirits entered a home through cluttered doorways. They are, at best, educated guesses at an idiosyncrasy that defied any logic we could find. So what did we, his children, do? We littered the front door with every pair of shoes we wore. It wasn’t our best moment and we tortured our father but we were children rebelling against a rule we thought unfair, absurd, insane.
That vein at his right temple, I shall never forget. I loved the man.
But now none of us stand in each others shoes long enough to understand, do we? Isn’t that the whole point.
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/01/27/writing-challenge-shoes/
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Thanks for linking, Colleen!
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Thanks ON THE RIVER…which river is that?
What a wonderful tribute, Wendy! Loved the photos!
He was a great man and I miss him. Thanks for commenting.
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Thank you!
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Thanks!
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Appreciate the support!
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This was a beautiful tribute. Everyone should have a picture enjoying their coffee. I loved that you brought attention to the vein at his temple in the last picture– I don’t know why, but it brought it all home for me and made me really feel the rest of the piece. The small things that create big memories are so worth remember. Thank you for remembering, and for participating in the challenge this week! 😀
Thank you for your kind words and for noticing seemingly minor details (but they aren’t) like coffee drinking and veins above right temples.
I enjoyed writing the piece and paying tribute to an important person in my life, my father. It makes it more worthwhile when it resonates
with others and I appreciate your comment. It was my pleasure to participate.
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What a great tribute to your dad, loved it!
Thank you, Sara!
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