The magic shoes
Today I’m wearing my magic salsa shoes. Actually, I’m just trying them on for the picture– you can’t really wear these shoes off the dancefloor – you’ll ruin the suede soles.
My salsa shoes really are magic. They make me dance better. It’s not just the easy spin suede soles, or the flexible straps that accommodate heel and toe action. Nope, when I’m wearing these shoes, I am Ginger Rogers. I don’t always dance with Fred Astaire however. The shoes are magic, they’re not God.
The backstory of the magic salsa shoes
I bought these magic salsa shoes (actually they’re really magic tango shoes) a couple of years back in Buenos Aires (Tango Brujo – a wonderful place). At the same time, I signed up for my first Argentine Tango lesson. When I arrived for said tango lesson I was confronted by 3 instructors that can only be described as a racial smorgasboard of male models. Seriously, it was like a Benneton ad up there! Of course I danced wonderfully in the arms of these gorgeous, strong, attentive… and silent men. This really happened – it’s not a fantasy (well, it is… but it also really happened.)
Upon returning to New Zealand, I went back to my regular salsa rueda classes, wearing the magic shoes, and once again, I danced wonderfully. I was dancing with the same men and women I always dance with (sometimes I lead when we’re short of men), but I was dancing better.
Then one day I forgot my magic salsa shoes, and I slipped and fell off sweaty Shane and pulled a ligament in my knee. Yes, I injured myself falling off a sweaty man! I am convinced that this would not have happened had I been wearing the magic shoes.
I haven’t danced for a year. Any type of swivel/turn action gets me limping again. But as I have to wear every pair of shoes I own in shoe month, this weekend I’m going back to the dance.
Faith in the magic
See it all comes down to faith. Stay with me here – I promise this isn’t going to be a ‘join my cult’ pitch (I’m saving that for the blog about my red suede shoes). I believe that these shoes are magic, because the magic has worked for me before, so I will dance fantastically and avoid injury when I’m wearing them.
I think everyone has these magic items in their possession. My friend R* has a date shirt, my cousin C* wears the same underwear to every job interview. These items have worked for them before, therefore their faith will make them work again. This is the real power of talisman.
What’s your magic thing?