I fell off my shoes today.
You read that right.
I FELL off my fucking SHOES.
Here's what happened: I pulled into the parking lot, grabbed my handbag, a 33.8oz bottle of water and a snazzy portfolio containing today's must dos. I was wearing an adorable pair of capris with a black v-neck top, and a coordinating pair of grey & black patterned pumps from 9 West.
I love these shoes.
They have pointy toes, show a bit of toe cleavage and have cute spiky little heels. They aren't too high -- just 3 inches. I have lots of shoes higher than 3 inches. Lots.
As I headed towards the building, George greeted me. He just bought a new car and wanted to show it to me. So I changed directions and walked towards George's new car. My heel must have lighted on a pebble, because my foot wobbled and then. . . .crash.
I mean CRASH.
My handbag went flying. The bottle of water rolled away. The portfolio burst open and today's tasks littered the parking lot.
George tried to stop my fall, but having taken a spill or two in the past, I knew it was better to just fall. I instinctively tucked my arms in, landed on my side and rolled to my back. My shoes swung helplessly in the air.
Shut up.
Then I got up, dusted myself off, admired George's car and slightly limped back into to building. I told George that I was fine.
I was fine.
Until 10 seconds later when George gets the following message over his walkie talkie:
GEORGE YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO A REPORT ON THAT SLIP AND FALL
I said "George -- who the fuck was that?"
He said, "Oh, that's Angie. She's on East Campus"
East Campus? East Campus is like three miles away. She saw me from three miles away?
"She saw you on the camera."
On the CAMERA.
It's not that I've never fallen in a humiliating way before.
In High School, my BFFS Karen, Fran, Leslie, Liz & Kristen decided to do a girls night at Carlos Murphy's. Just to be clear, it was the '80s, it was the suburbs, and Carlos Murphy's was a fun fresh concept and not a tired ass cliche.
We were wearing our requisite mini skirts with flats (mine were yellow) (Shut UP). Our hair was as high as Aqua Net could make it. We had stylishly accentuated eyes, lips, and cheekbones. We? Were GORGEOUS.
Heads turned to watch as the six of us made our way to the table.
I remember the sound of glasses clinking, murmured conversations, sizzling fajitas and cheesy Motown hits. I don't remember the sound of the hostess saying "Watch your step".
Know what happens when you miss a step on glossy sautillo tile while wearing yellow Payless flats?
You fall face first under a family of five who are enjoying a blooming onion. At least one of your shoes flies far, far away.
Fast forward a few years, and I am in Santa Monica, CA at my first job at Enterprise Rent a Car.
I'm hung over, wearing glasses for a change because I seem to have stored my contact lenses in gin instead of saline. Ow. I'm wearing a tight skirt, cream colored top (with a fresh coffee stain) and Payless heels. The heels were worn away to the nails, because at ERAC, we spent all of our time tottering around parking lots to rent the cars. Cheap shoes were a must back then.
It was my turn to take donuts to Lynch Motors on Santa Monica Boulevard. I held two boxes of donuts and a gigantic roll of green stickers. We are supposed to give the service guys the donuts, and put the stickers with our phone number on their phone. The donuts are balanced on one hand, the stickers are in the other.
I walk down the service bay when both feet suddenly skid out from under me and I land squarely on my back with -- sigh -- both feet in the air. Again..
The donuts go flying and the roll of stickers rolls all the way to the showroom.
The reason that incident was so humiliating was that every car in Los Angeles was driving past Lynch Motors at that exact second. Everyone I came in contact with all day said "Are you OK?! I saw you wipe out in front of Lynch Motors!"
If I had time, I could tell story after story of me falling on my face in front of someone.
In fact, I have another story here.
Falling is nothing new for me.
But today? It's on CAMERA.
 |
| Similar to the pair I wore today. My shoes have improved in quality, but not stability. |
