The Performance!

On November 3rd, the Piedmont seniors and the Country School students performed "Walk in our Shoes" at the Lankershim Arts Center! It was a fantastic night.

Ms. Overbach has a wedding shoe story!

Don't forget to ask Ms. Overbach to tell you her shoe story.

Right before she teaches us the twist!

Who knew Ms. Gier was so good at the twist?

Rehearsal! Practice makes perfect.

You can't know what it's like to go to a cattle ranch.

Unless you have walked in my shoes you can't know what it's like to go to a cattle ranch. One sunny day, I went to a Sports Chalet to get cowboy boots and hats to prepare myself for my trip with my dad to a cattle ranch in Wyoming. First we would have to fly to Utah and hurry to another flight heading to Cody, Wyoming. The plane flying from Utah to Cody was very small and flimsy and flew at a slower speed than most planes. When we landed in Cody, we would have to rent a room at a hotel and drive seventy miles in the morning to get to the cattle ranch. I was very excited to go the cattle ranch.

The day we drove to the cattle ranch I was curious as to what it would look like, and what we would learn there. We arrived at about four o' clock in the afternoon. First we went to the main lodge and met the manager and she showed us where our cabin was. It was very nice with two twin beds and a T.V. We unpacked our stuff and then headed to dinner. We even had our own personal chef. The food was so flavorful and yummy. After dinner we went back to the cabin, watched some T.V. and went to bed. I can't explain all the details of everyday because it would be too long, but I can tell you what we did.

My dad and I went horseback riding with a guide named Shawn who was a very nice guide. The horses walked through the streams which I loved! I got to see pigs, cows, and mini-bulls. I even got to feed the pigs! One of my favorite things we did was ride in Shawn's monster truck through little streams and bumpy terrain. We went fishing and I caught some chunky rainbow trout. I even got to fire a shotgun! I wore my boots everyday! The cattle ranch was awesome!

I wore my cowboy boots every day during that trip. I learned how to shoot a shotgun, and ride a horse. Everyday at the cattle ranch was so exciting and fun. My boots remind me of my trip to the cattle ranch with my dad.

Matthew

That day I learned you shouldn't jump off a building ever.

Unless you have walked in my shoes you don't know that they are red like blood and white like a sheep. They are my favorite shoes. My Converse have been through it all with me and they have been torn apart and ruined with a Sharpie drawing of bears.

Ever since I was little, I have been wearing the same kinds of shoes. My mom said I was really crazy. The red in my shoes reminds me of the day I fell off of a 23 feet balcony. After falling I went to the hospital and I had two hours of surgery.

That day, I learned that you shouldn't jump off a building ever. My Converse remind me of my horrible nightmare. Even though I've worn those in good times, those colors don't let me forget what I went through.

Fernando.

A few weeks ago, I went to Texas.

Unless you have walked in my shoes, you cannot know that a few weeks ago, I went to Texas with my dad. I wore basketball shoes. They are white, black and red Jordans. I purchased them because I need shoes for basketball camp. I got them even though they were not my first choice.

When I got to Texasc, we went to our hotel room. Then we went to a barbecue restaurant called Lamberts. I ordered ribs but they were as big as my forearm. My dad ordered pulled pork. It was as much meat as is on my calf. Next, we went to sleep. The next morning, I went to my dad's 8 hour meeting. When we got back to the hotel, we took a 3 hour walk around the river. Unfortunately, we had to eat at ... guess where ... Lamberts! The next morning, we went to Bee Cave Road for my dad's meeting. This one only lasted two hours. Then we went to Torchy's Tacos. After that, we went to the UT campus. Afterwards, we stayed in bed and had a sundae. On Saturday, we went to a tailgate. They had a customized grill/car. During the game, UCLA crushed UT 34-12!

Ethan

All night I waited. I was so excited, I couldn't sleep.

Sadye, left. Akili, right.

My favorite pair of shoes are my handmade cat shoes. It all started one Sunday morning. My sister and I got out of bed and we were very tired. We had fallen back asleep for another two hours. My sister turned over and asked me, "Do you want to go shopping?" I said "Yes," and immediately got up and put my clothes on.

"Are you that excited to go?" she asked.

"OF COURSE I AM. WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO GO LOOK AT COOL STUFF?" I stammered. We got in the car and left. Later on, we arrived and started walking around. Then my sister stopped and stared at a quite large sign. It said HAND MADE in bulky letters. We went in and my sister started pondering, making sure to look at everything. As we passed things, she kept saying , "I want this," sniffing the candles, touching the neon sock monkeys.

I was having trouble finding anything I liked that wasn't 50 dollars. BUT THEN I SPOTTED THE COOLEST SHOES I HAD EVER SEEN! They were leopard print with huge green eyes, and pink bows for ears. I said, "Shelby, look, can you buy them for me please?" I could tell my sister liked them too. We both tried them on and they fit us. "No, Sadye, mom can buy them for you." I could definitely tell she wanted them.

When we arrived home, I asked my mom if we could go back later and buy the shoes. My mother said we would go in the morning to buy them. All night I waited. I was so excited I couldn't sleep. In the morning, we went to get them. I was very pleased, but my sister was jealous.

Sadye

COMING SOON! Akili's story.

I didn't think I could be this daring until I got my hiking boots.

Madison, left. Ethan, right.

Unless you’ve walked in my shoes, you wouldn’t know how much fun it is to see the wild; to see all the animals free. You wouldn’t know how daring a person could feel. I didn’t think I could be this daring until I got my hiking boots.

The reason my hiking boots changed my life is because they made me feel like I was on top of the world. I wouldn’t even care if they got dirty because they were meant for adventure. In Africa, we had many adventures:

How scary it could be to walk across a bridge that could collapse at any moment. Before I slept at night, I thought to myself, “you are one of the closest things to freedom.” To think that your next door neighbors are hippos!

When you see the wild, out in the open, it’s like a memory that you can never let go, and the feeling can be anything … unhappy, amazing, enjoyment … but it’s definitely a memory you should keep.

Madison

Unless you have walked in my shoes you can’t know how it feels to be a confident athlete. Two years ago, I wasn’t an athlete at all. My black Nike shoes have helped me become the accomplished sportswoman I am today.

The day my team and I won the volleyball game, I was so proud of myself. Three of the middle schoolers including my brother took off their shirts and painted their chests with the word TCS. There was a loud crowd that was screaming support for our team. I was so excited that I felt like my heart was going to pop out of my chest. After this day I knew that I made the right choice in buying these shoes.

When I got the Nike shoes they were comfortable and they helped me run faster. As I ran more often, I became faster and stronger. As I became stronger, I became a better sports player. The day knew I was a good athlete was when I signed up for volleyball and I was able to play very well. I still wear my Nikes and they still help me a lot.

Shireen

As I walked, I began to feel more and more free.

Unless you have walked in my shoes, you can not know how it feels to walk on a beautiful beach in Brazil. A few years ago, I went to Brazil with a friend and had a great time. One day, we were on our way to the hardware store when I spotted an amazing pair of running shoes in a store window. They were pink, black and red checkered with white laces. I had to have them! They would be perfect for the many long walks I was planning on having during the trip.

I put my new shoes on right away and started walking on a journey I’ll never forget. The wind was blowing strongly along the beach that day. I could barely hear the sound of the waves. I wished my friends could have been there to experience this lovely day. As I walked, I began to feel more and more free. Wearing the new shoes on this three-mile walk did cause me some pain, but the beauty of the shoes and the day made me forget.

I still wear these shoes today. Whenever I wear them, I am reminded of the freedom I felt that day. I will remember to have more adventures because of the shoes. Next time, I will bring more friends with me.

Maria

You can't know what it's like to walk into Dylan's Candy Store in NYC.

Unless you have walked in my shoes you can’t know what it’s like to walk into Dylan’s candy store in New York City. It is the most magical candy store in the world. After walking a mile in my new Adidas one day, I found myself at this glorious place. My favorite aunt let me loose on a generous budget of $50.00. I went crazy, but didn’t quite know how to spend it all. I was excited to get a discount on the candy of the day, M&M’s. My other purchases included S’mores Platter, gummy bears, and, of course, red licorice.

After, my aunt and I went for a spectacular walk. My Adidas took us to Central Park. We visited the zoo and said, “Hi!” to the cobras. My Adidas were getting tired, so we went back to my aunt’s apartment. We were thinking about taking a nap, but decided to watch tennis on TV instead. What a great aunt, day, and pair of shoes!

Duke

I had to wash milk bottles standing on a wooden stool.

My parents were divorced and my father was given custody of my brother and I. But he worked around the clock in the best hotels, like the Hotel Astor, the Waldorf Astoria, and later in the Berkshires at a New England ski resort.

So we became wards, or members, of the New England Home for Little Wanderers … which meant we had no home, we wandered about.

Well my father paid well for the foster homes and my clothes. I was allowed to pick out clothes myself and I remember I picked a dress with the largest skirt so I could twirl in it.

I tried piano lessons, and I didn’t care for that, so I hid my lessons in the manure pile. And since I lived on a farm, no one could find the music.

I had to wash milk bottles standing on a wooden box. I usually was dreaming music in colors as I washed the bottles.

When I finally escaped to Miss Slater’s dance school, it made life easier to bear.

Here are my ballet practice shoes … all worn out … but believe it or not, I saved them and wore then last week to our Engage Senior Olympic event and they still fit like a soft leather glove. But I had to be careful for as you see, they are well worn, and I might trip if I wasn’t walking as light as a dancer can.

Lillian

My shoes help me remember to try new things.

Unless you have walked in my shoes, you cannot know how much I love Mexico. Last summer, my friend Olga, who knew how much I loved Mexico, invited me to a Quinceanera. I thought they were inviting me to a restaurant called La Quinceanera. Boy was I wrong. It was a birthday party. If I had known I was going to a birthday party, I never would have gone.

I rode in the car with Olga, her husband, and her mom. When we stopped, I found out we were at a church, not a restaurant. I realized it was a birthday party. There were so many people at the party. There was mariachi, salsa and cumbia music playing and a D.J.

The birthday girl was named Mayra Ruiz. She was so beautiful. Even though I was too nervous to talk to her, I still had a great time. He shoes I wore were tennis shoes. It was so easy to dance all night in them. I danced with middle-aged grown ups the whole night long.

That day, I learned that sometimes things I expect to happen don’t always turn out. I also decided I would be open to birthday parties. Sometimes birthday parties could be awesome. The tennis shoes I wear in school are the ones I wore at the party. They help me remember to try new things.

Kyle

I was about 7 years old when my family spent a day at the beach.

I was about 7 years old when my family spent a day at the beach in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was a wonderful day. When it was time to go, I gathered all my clothes and walked to the water’s edge to tell my brother to get out of the water. I accidentally dropped my clothes and one of my shoes floated away. It sank so quickly no one could save it. I’m sure the fish had a good dinner. But I bet the silver buckle on the shoe is still shining and winking at me.

The shoe looked like the ones worn by the pilgrims. The next day, my mother took me shopping and bought the same shoes. It turned out to be a happy day after all, especially since my mother didn’t scold me.

Elaine

My shoes saved me.

Unless you have walked in my shoes, you can not know how my shoes saved me. When I bought my shoes, I didn’t know that the shoes could save me from hurting myself. The shoes were supposed to last long and help in exercising. One morning, I woke up from an unpleasant sleep. While I was going down the stairs I tripped. I bruised my arms and legs. I got up and ate breakfast while my dog was chewing on my leg. After breakfast, I put on my shoes and left for camp.

When I got to camp, I went straight to the soccer field. As goalie, my shoes helped me block several goals. Then, as I tried to block the ball with my hands, I got extremely hurt when my right hand bent all the way back. My second injury of the day led me to the nurse’s office. After I stopped crying I went to the rock wall.

It was time for me to go rock climbing. I got there and put on my harness. Then, it was my turn to go on the rock wall. The guy told me to climb. I soon reached the top. From the top I jumped off and in less than one second, I hit the ground on my feet. My shoes really saved me. How they saved me is because they made me fall right side because how heavy they are. I didn’t feel a think. That’s when I realized that they can save a life. Now they don’t fit me anymore, but I never forgot what they did for me.

Lucas

I pretended like I was a princess and that my sister was the prince ...

My love of Korean culture began on my birthday, the day I turned four years old. My mom's friend came to my birthday. She was my best friend at my mom's work. As a present, she gave me a pair of Korean shoes. The shoes came all the way from Korea!

I love my wonderful pair of Korean shoes. My shoes are made of rubber! On the sides are colorful strips of red, green, yellow, and blue. The background of the shoes is a color in the middle of beige and sky blue. On the edge of the shoes is a red border.
The shoes look like they belong to a genie!

When I was six, I pretended to be a fan dancer for hours all over the house. I pretended that I was a princess, and that my sister was the prince, so we danced forever to the Beatles' song, "The Night Before."

Jamee

The experience I had in the military was one that I was completely unprepared for.

Unless you have walked in my shoes you would not know how life would be a complete revelation of ups and downs. The experience I had in the military I was totally unprepared for. My ambition was to fight for my country as I was always patriotic.

It was in 1943 and I was sent to Des Moines, Iowa in the freezing cold winter. Getting up at 4:30 a.m. to march through the frozen fields, that was the period of basic training. I also learned to salute all the officers.

After 6 weeks I was sent to Tucson, Arizona where the summer heat was blistering. The winds created heavy dust in the barracks and I was punished when the commanding officer came in for a white glove inspection and found dust on my windowsill!! I scrubbed the toilets for 21 days.

When I went home for a short furlough my mother suddenly died. She died because there were not enough nurses in the ward to administer oxygen which she needed.

Returning to the base, I was befriended by a Hispanic girl who had me come to her home. They tried to teach me spanish and I turned a deaf ear to that. How stupid I was. I could have earned at least $100,000 more during my lifetime with that skill. But more important, I would have been able to communicate with so many more wonderful people.

I was sent to Mitchel Field, New York, where I was assigned the position of going to high schools and colleges to recruit young men and women to join the army. The experiences in the military provide a basis of a successful future. My shoes have carried me a long way.

Mary Cohen

My feet kept my boots in the stirrups, which kept me in the saddle!

Unless you have walked in my shoes you cannot know how to ride a horse and feel completely safe. I have been riding horses since I was two years old. My grandmother put on my first pair of boots and put me on the horse. It was first of many amazing experiences. Even as a toddler, I felt so safe when I was wearing my special shoes. My boots kept my feet in the stirrups, which kept me in the saddle.

I feel most fantastic when I am on a horse. The wind assaults my face and refreshes me as I ride in a circle. One my chestnut horse named Nikey I ride really fast while he tries to buck me off like a bull. But when I'm wearing my boots I always stay on. Sometimes I jump and ride bareback.

While riding with my boots on it makes riding fun because I can challenge myself without fear. What I learned from my shoes is to always wear them while riding a horse that tries to buck you off of their back. Without my boots my feet will slip out of the stirrups. It is hard to ride without boots on, as well as trying to ride with a broken finger. I got bucked off when I was three years old and broke my finger.

Jesse