Let’s get some Shoes…

A few weeks ago while walking through the streets of Boston, I saw a suspiciously large line of people wrapped around at least 2 or 3 city blocks. They were all just sitting in yard chairs or on blankets, and some even had makeshift tents and beds. It reminded me of the craziness that occurs during the holidays when people foolishly wait outside shopping malls for hours, anticipating the latest toy or gadget. As I delved further, I realized they were all young guys, probably in their 20s and early 30s, all having that kind of “street” look to them. I followed the wrapping line to its end and saw nothing special. I looked all around for possible signs, and even tried eavesdropping on some conversations, but still couldn’t find the purpose for this peculiar mass of people. My growing curiosity quickly took over and I stepped in on a small group of guys and simply asked them what was going on. I was surprised and slightly disappointed by their answer….Shoes….They were waiting in line for a pair of Nikes called Blue Lobsters that were to be released in a few days. One guy I spoke with had already been waiting, enduring the rain and cold nights, for 5 days. People had come from everywhere to wait for these kicks. One person drove all the way from Wisconsin! I asked what was so special about the shoes, and again, I was disappointed…Nothing, other than the fact that only 350 pairs were being manufactured. And it just so happened that this tiny shoe store on some random street in the Harvard area of Boston would be releasing them. The same guy that had been waiting for 5 days explained to me that he didn’t even want the shoes for himself. He was going to “flip em”, aka sell them on Ebay to people in Asia for up to four times their value (about $700). I asked him if he felt it was a safe gamble. What if no one wanted the shoes and he wasted an entire week and $200 on a pair of shoes. He just laughed as if I was a naïve little girl. I assumed that meant he had full faith in his upcoming business venture. As I walked away he said it would be worth the wait. I was amazed at this. I can’t imagine a single material thing I want badly enough that I would put myself through that to own it, can you? I talked to a friend about this briefly and with his input I decided that I could feasibly see myself  waiting like this for a few different things: front row seats to an intimate show put on by my favorite band (Coldplay), or to see a family member or friend that I really miss, or to witness the Presidential Inauguration, or to have coffee with someone really awesome like Oprah, Jane Goodall, or Tina Fey…. Through this thought process I realized that I desire experiences and human interaction over money and possessions. I like that about myself.

It also made me wonder what everyone else thinks about this. Is there any “thing” that you would wait outside, night and day, rain or shine for? For a week? I don’t mean like a million dollar giveaway or something equally cool/outrageous. Let’s say something equivalent to $200, about the cost of these Nike shoes.

 

waiting….

Waiting to catch the blue lobster

The sign from the store window