Pest Control

I will never forget the first time I laid eyes on a pair of Marc by Marc Jacobs mouse ballerina flats. It was 2007 and I was in Howells in the UK. All the money I had was graciously provided by my father so that I wouldn't literally be a starving student; so shopping was clearly out of the question. Window shopping on the other hand was fair game. I had never been the type to enjoy the thrill of just trying on designer clothes fully aware that I couldn't afford to actually take the items to the cash register...but that day was an exception. " May I see these in an 8 please?" I asked the sales girl. The mice were grey, had whiskers and a little felt tail, and I was smiling ear to ear. I vowed to own one pair as soon as I found myself employed. One pair quickly turned to two, three, four, and I have already picked out five and six from the new collection.  I now consider myself a "collector". 

My mice have received mix reactions from those unaware of exactly what they represent or even worse; those who are unaware of who Marc Jacobs is. My fluorescent pink, rubber pair were the butt of a joke last summer after a teenager crossing the street noticed me walking my dog and yelled out "Omg look at your pink shoes!! Why are your shoes so bright?!?" Jokes on her, I yelled back "They're designer you moron" but she didn't seem to care.

 I don't care either, because to me the mice represent something more then just a $250 pair of shoes with googly eyes glued to them. They take me back to that day, as a broke ass student standing in a posh British department store where I told myself that I deserve anything my heart desires and that included rodent shoes. While in the UK I believe I discovered who I really am, I found love, and lost love, I missed my family and friends for three years and had to fend for myself for the first time, and I learned what it was like to fall down and pick myself back up again. Every time I see a new pair of mice I thank Mr. Marc Jacobs for giving grown women like me an excuse to be silly and fun, because life is too short to be so serious. And so what if my shoes are too bright, at least I'm confident enough to wear them.