I have these friends who have been with me every non-snowy day for the past 5 years. We have been hiking, swimming, walking and even running together through sand and mud…
But this summer, my friends started to lose their soles a little bit. and then a lotta bit. I finally took these friends back to REI where they came from to see if I could still be eligible for an exchange. Although I no longer had the receipt, the cashier could see that these friends and I have spent a lot of time together (both by the signs of wear and also the tan lines on my feet) and he gave me store credit for the price of the shoe at full price (which is what I paid, although I had no way to prove that).
I was THRILLED! That is… until I had to actually hand over my trusty pair. My heart sank and my hand wouldn’t let go at first. Finally I mustered up the courage to turn and leave them on the counter. Then came the tears. I felt like I was leaving a child with the cashier…turning him in for another child—a new pair just wouldn’t be the same!
Darin couldn’t believe I was crying, although he did try his best to be sensitive. I was also surprised and found myself doing some sort of laugh/cry combo for a while. My mind was flooded with memories of those shoes. It was seriously just like I had lost a friend…or two.
But it turns out, there are other crazies like me. They are called Chaconians.
There’s even a video on chacos.com about “re-chaco” and the people that want THEIR shoes back, not a NEW pair. They want to keep the same pair alive and going on adventures with them. Check it out…
Looks like I’ll just have to begin a new relationship with another pair of Chacos.
Knowing it is half the battle. Now you know you need help. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I absolutely loved the Re-chaco'video! Who knew! I think I'll get the next pair from them and have them customized! That is, if I can ever think of wearing another pair! Thanks for sharing!
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