Fancy Footwork

Sat., June 23, 2007

My friend Mel and I were looking for something fun to do. I read on washingtonpost.com under local events that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) located in Alexandria, Va., was holding a shoe exhibit. Shoe aficionados that we are, we couldn’t resist checking it out. “Shoes: Innovations at Your Feet” opened on July 13, 2006 and is FREE to the public. The exhibit showcased all kinds of footwear from 19th century models of patented inventions as well as recent accomplishments of today's footwear industry. There were more than 40 glass cases filled with different types of shoes by various designers. Featured brand names included Manolo Blahnik (known as "one of the world’s most prominent women’s shoe designers"), Keds®, Timberland and Dr. Scholl's®. Highlights from the exhibit were the origin of tap shoes, the actual size 23 work shoe of Shaquille O'Neal, select footwear of First Ladies' and an interactive Shoe Designer’s Workshop containing a plain high heel and lots of magnetic accessories for you to customize your own shoe.

Not your typical touristy attraction, it was worth the trip. The exhibit runs until the third week of July 2007.

Caps Off!

Fri., June 15, 2007

The big day finally arrived -- my little sister's graduation from Chantilly High School. The floor was a sea of purple and white (their school colors). The class of '07 consisted of 675 students. A stern warning about proper behavior was given before the commencement officially began. However, it wasn't a surprise when well into the ceremony, beach balls suddenly appeared amongst the students and were bumped around until they were confiscated. Various faculty and students presentations followed. Peppered in was music accompaniment from the band and chorus.

The keynote speech was given by "beloved history teacher" and football coach Phil Cronin. He mentioned the different hats he wore as a coach, teacher and mentor/role model. The following are excerpts from his speech that I found inspiring. "We pushed you to try new things or to grow beyond your expectations of your self. To stay in your comfort zone, to not try new things -- that would be a tragedy! We asked you to give more than you thought you had and told you that there weren’t always trophies or prizes at the end. Sometimes it was the process that was important and that by learning to take care of the little things, the details, that would make you successful."

The ceremony was a little more than two hours long ... impressively efficient. When it ended, happy teens and proud parents, grandparents and friends poured out of the George Mason Patriot Center. Endless possibilities awaiting the new graduates!