Do The Mike Thing

John McKenzie

My love for Michael Jordan and his shoes dates back to my very first pair of AIR Jordans. I grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and to no surprise I grew up loving the Bulls and especially Michael Jordan. My first Jordan's were the Jordan VII Bugs Bunny's. My mom bought them for my birthday, and I adored them. I wore them everywhere, and my mom says that I even wore them to bed.

One day I was playing outside with my cousin, in my Jordans of course, and my cousin decided push me into a huge muddy puddle. My Jordans were ruined. They were completely water logged and covered in mud. Embarrassing as it is, I ran inside crying to my mom; I cried all day and night. From that day on, I knew that I had an undeniable connection with Michael Jordan and his shoes.

This brings me to the present and my most recent Jordan debacle. As a college student I have little disposable income i.e., new Jordans are much harder to come by these days. Recently my laptop broke down, and I required a new one. I had it for 5 years, so my grandfather wrote me a check for a new one. I began to search for a laptop that would cost me about $200 less than the check I got. "What is the extra $200 for?" you ask, but I think you know the answer.

I stupidly told my plan to my girlfriend, and she said if I spent any of that money on shoes that she would break up with me instantly. I thought about what she said, and didn't do anything too stupid for a couple of days. I had wanted a pair of Spiz 'ikes for the longest time, but everyone was sold out. One day I stumbled into a Footlocker near my school, and pessimistically asked, "You wouldn't happen to have a pair of Spiz 'ikes in the back would you?" The sales woman condescendingly said, "I don't think so." Then a voice from the back said, "We just got a pair of size 12 Spiz 'ikes from a store that closed in Kansas". I almost broke down in tears, and purchased them without hesitation.

When I came home, my girlfriend flipped out. She called me every bad thing imaginable and ultimately stormed out vowing never to speak to me again, unless I returned the shoes. If you're wondering what I did, I'll have you know that I am typing this with my Spiz 'ikes on. My girlfriend came back because she realized that I'm an addict, and that Jordan comes before almost everything. I know I am ineligible for the grand prize, but I still wanted to share my Jordan stories. Plus, that second prize wouldn't hurt. The bottom line is that I am a complete Jordan addict, and like Will Farrell said in Blades of Glory "it's a real disease with doctors and medicine."