contents - Gallatin School of Individualized Study - New York ...

florence choiceOde to My Shiny ShoesOnce pretty and new, black and white, they’re in my closet still. I loved thoseshoes—black, shiny patent leather; white, clunky rubber soles and heels. Comfy,they were. Show off I did, with my head held high and pep in my step.I adore those shoes.As the weeks passed, the leather, once pristine, became dull and no longer shone.The bright white heels and soles are soiled and stained, dingy and old. Oh, mypretty shoes are shades of gray; gone forever is the bright in the white of theirheels and soles.The perfect heels, once level and straight, show evidence of my lopsided gait. Theirouter edges, now worn, rock from side to side as I stroll along. I keep the shoes,with all their imperfections, unwilling to toss them aside becauseI love my marshmallow shoes.Gaining Perspective119florence choiceFlorence Choice was born and raised on the Lower East Side. She is astudent at the New York Public Library’s Tompkins Square Center forReading and Writing. She says, “I want to express my gratitude to the team,Terry Sheehan and Hilary Schenker, and give special thanks to RodgerLarson and Shaun McCarthy, my tutors, for their contributions of time andtalent.” Florence Choice is the mother of three children and is working tobuild her own clothing line, “Choice Woman.”