Every time I wear my old & now ratty converse sneakers, my friends comment on how dirty they are and how it might be time to finally buy a new pair. However when I look down at the shoes that were once white, I don’t see dirt. I see the countless concerts, I see the many school dances, and I see the car rides with my feet up on the dash board. Those old shoes have taken me so many places. I wore them on my first date, to my first real job, and even to move into college. They were tied onto my feet when I made new friends that have become best friends, when I got that failed test grade back that I thought I aced, and when I opened that letter from my dream school that would soon become my new home.

My converse have been a constant staple in my wardrobe, my go-to shoe. I know that the scuff on the heel was from that time I thought I would be good at skateboarding, the red paint on the toe was from when I spilled nail polish as I rushed to paint my chipped nails before prom, and the dirt on the laces was from running through the mud in the pouring rain after I went camping with my best friends. I stared down at my converse when I had to call my dad and tell him I accidentally crashed the car. I had them on when I sat in my room and cried after I was told my grandfather had passed away. They were on my feet when I nervously walked to my first college party, anxious of what it would really be like.

When my friends comment on how my once white shoes are now turning a different shade, I smile. I smile because all of the dirt, scuffs, and nail polish marks represent years of memories. Those shoes have been with me as I’ve grown and become the person that I am today.

So here is to the many other concerts, car rides, and dances my trusty old kicks will take me to, may they all be just as memorable as those that came before.