Magic Shoes

I love shoes, what girl doesn't? It is so funny that I am active in an organization that provides footwear to people all over the world because long ago a pair of shoes was linked to something important in my own life.
I was six years old, and after Momma heard me sing along with the radio and TV jingles long enough, she saw that maybe she had a little singer on her hands. I remember going to Miss Betty McLeod's home in Paxville (she lived in a brick ranch house and I thought it was a mansion, she also had a picture of Elvis on her nightstand, which I thought was pretty cool), and rehearsing the song "Somewhere over the Rainbow" while her daughter Debbie played the piano. There was such a fuss made about it, and Momma found a gingham dress, and we parted my hair down the middle and braided each side, and I held a little basket with a stuffed puppy dog inside (Toto, if you have not already guessed).

And the shoes... They were my Buster Brown Mary Janes. Momma spread glue all over them and rolled them in red glitter, and with that I had my ruby slippers, my magic shoes.

The annual Striped Bass Festival was going on the big metropolis of Manning, SC and they had entertainment on the court house steps all weekend. Saturday morning was my big debut. They sat me on the edge of the baby grand on stage with the basket in my hand and I sang my heart out. That began a string of beauty pageants, and each time I won with my "Somewhere over the Rainbow" performance.
Momma has those shoes still, in a ziploc bag with my keepsakes and many other costumes.

Soles4Souls, (www.giveshoes.org) states that a "pair of shoes can change someone's life", I totally agree.