I’m not sure that shoes make the man, but I know that boots tell so much about the soldier. Shmulik left this morning and as they approached the Induction Center…realized that he’d forgotten slippers. He’ll be issued boots…reddish brown ones it seems to go with his uniform but when he’ll shower or for that hour a day when he can relax…it’s slippers or sandals or something.
He had only his sports sneakers.
Luckily, Elie was wearing his waterproof, perfect-for-the-shower Crocs and the two made a switch. Elie gave Shmulik his Crocs, which soon, perhaps even now, Shmulik will put in his backpack in place of those army boots. Elie put Shmulik’s sneakers on…and almost limped back to the car. Elie is a few centimeters taller and at least a size larger than Shmulik in the shoe department. Elie’s feet fit in Shmulik’s sneakers…right up to the end of the show.
He got in the car, removed the painful shoes and drove home. No great lessons to be learned from this, other than a smile at two brothers who handled the situation brilliantly. Shmulik’s sneakers are back in his bedroom waiting for his return; Elie’s Crocs are somewhere near Tel Aviv wondering how they got drafted again.
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