Opinion – Judy Harris: What a lucky day, the day I wore my red shoes on my walk


“Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.” Albert Einstein

There are several fellow walkers I see occasionally when our days and times match up. We are on a first-name-only basis and enjoy greeting each other.

I see Linda five or six times each year. It is always fun to say hello and have a chat if we have time.

Judy Harris

Recently, when Linda and I were walking at the same time, I stopped to do some leg lifts. I was wearing new red shoes.

Linda stopped to comment on my red shoes. She liked red shoes and once had a pair.

I told her that these red shoes had been waiting in my closet since COVID years and never worn.

Today with red earrings and red shirt, the red shoes were liberated.

That particular day I was especially aware of my shoe size changing. I mentioned that my shoe size keeps going down in size, 8 to 7½ to 7.

Linda said that her feet were changing too but going up from 6½ to 7 to 7½.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

Just an hour before, I had taken a pair of red shoes from the closet, never worn but purchased online as a back-up pair because the low price was irresistible. Unfortunately, I had purchased 7½, a mistake.

When I checked the original pair, they were size 7.

Red shoes (Judy Harris photo)

So those were the ones on my feet as we talked.

The brand-new 7½ pair was at home, set aside until I could decide what to do with them.

That was until Linda told me that she wore size 7½ and liked red shoes; until I told Linda that those size 7½ shoes were clearly meant for her.

It was so obvious, she agreed to accept those red shoes.

Amazing, those coincidences.

My first day wearing red shoes in years, our serendipitous meeting, her stopping to talk about red shoes, her shoe sizes going up while my sizes are going down, the perfect 7½ match.

Anonymous?

Probably not this time.

So much joy!

Judy Harris is well established in Northern Kentucky life, as a longtime elementary and university educator. A graduate of Thomas More, she began her career there in 1980 where she played a key role in teacher education and introduced students to national and international travel experiences. She has traveled and studied extensively abroad. She enjoys retirement yet stays in daily contact with university students.


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