When I was around 14 years old, I begged my mother for a pair of high-top Chuck Taylor Converse basketball shoes.
My parents were not people that liked to spend money on expensive shoes for me.
I wanted these shoes because just about everyone that I knew had them.
My mother felt that I did not deserve those shoes because my current shoes at the time were in good condition. Therefore, she felt for me to have those shoes was not a necessity.
I offered to do most of the housework if she would consider getting them for me.
I delivered on my word. My mother was so impressed by my ambition to win her approval that she went against her normal budgeting regimen and she bought those shoes for me.
I was so excited to get those shoes that I could not wait to wear them. I wore them for about a week before I realized that those shoes were not as cool as everyone made them out to be.
They had no arch support and they hurt my feet. After much consideration, I threw them in the trash and I never looked back.
After about 8 months or so had gone by my mother finally noticed that I was not wearing the shoes. She said to me, " Boy where are those shoes that you made me spend good money for?" I lied to her by saying," Mom, those shoes were popular and someone stole them!"
Years later, I finally confessed to what I had done and I even gave her some money back to replace what I had convinced her to spend on me.
I learned a valuable lesson back then. I learned that not everything that is trendy is meant for you to have.
Be careful because it may not live up to its hype.
