Spraying the shoes
There comes a season when I suddenly feel it's time to spray the shoes for winter.
I set them all out on the front doorstep, close the door and spray them one by one to protect against water and stains. This has to be done outside, because the spray smells terrible.
Still, it's a pleasant ritual, a harbinger of autumn. Afterwards, I line the shoes up neatly in the hall closet. Old and new ones are ready for fall. This is the season for new shoes; as children, we always had them in September.
Old ones, no matter how comfortable, have to be discarded eventually. But why is it so hard to give them up, even when they are worn out?