(Shoeless Joe Jackson was one of the all-time great hitters in major league baseball. He would have been in The Baseball Hall of Fame, but he was banned due to the Chicago White Sox scandal of 1919 and his guilt is still questionable today) Author W.P. Kinsella wrote a book "Shoeless Joe" in 1982 which was turned into the movie, "Field of Dreams" in 1989. The movie starred Keven Costner and is considered one of the best sports movies of all-time and it is my favorite movie.)
I was looking forward to speaking to the Exchange Club of Charleston for a couple months. The men's service group has been supporting children for fifty years. They were meeting at Hall's Chophouse, one of the top restaurants in Downtown Charleston and they invited me to speak about my book and "Celebrating Strangers". I have always wanted to eat there and this was my chance and they were treating me to lunch. What could go wrong?
I planned everything out so I would be there about 45 minutes early. I went down to Charleston and drove four hours "Ubering" before making a last stop and then I was headed to the restaurant. I was concerned about getting a parking space and I had never used a credit card for a parking, I was wearing dress shoes, dress pants and a purple, long sleeved, dress shirt.
Walking out of a library to my car 90 minutes before lunch, my shoe felt funny and seemed like the sole was loose. I was thinking I would be fine for about a minute and then I left half of my shoe in the parking lot. I picked up the half of shoe and hobbled to my car. Sitting there with half a shoe in my hand and half on my foot, I needed a plan and I need it fast.
There was a Walmart on the way. I could hobble into the store and find a shoe, buy it and make it to Halls in plenty of time for lunch, if everything went right. Arriving at the Walmart, I realized my sock was a little wet on the bottom since I was missing half the shoe. I hobbled in and found the shoe department in the back of the store. Miraculously, there was an employee right there who brought me over to the few dress shoes. The second shoe I saw was black, a loafer, about my size and around $30-SOLD! I asked the guy to cut off all the things from the shoe, so I could walk out of the store with them on. They fit well and I was on my way to Halls. Below is how the two half shoes looked at home.
If the sole of the shoe was just loose I would have tried to glue it together. I thought I would be able to get away with it, since I was just talking. I pulled up to Halls and there was a parking space in front of the door and money already in the meter. I through in fifty cents and I didn't have to use my card. When I walked into Halls, our room was on the second floor and I had to walk up maybe twenty steps. My half shoe would not have made it.
I talked for twenty-five minutes and it went very well. There were 30-40 people and if you look to the left in the below picture you can see a guy with my bright orange book. They bought a copy and raffled it off and the money went to the Boys Home that they support. I sold a few copies and had a very good lunch. The restaurant was only open for this monthly meeting of the organization and everyone was very nice. I am just happy I had two shoes on my feet.
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