This photo reminds me of the time that I hastily purchased a new set of shoes for work from the clearance rack at DSW.

Typically, I don’t put a lot of thought into the purchase of work shoes. I maintain a plain black and brown pair and typically go for the slip on loafer style so as to cruise through airport security lines with more haste than those who spend time messing with laces – for those reasons as well as to keep with the conservative dress standards of the industry in which I work.

On this particular occasion, I picked up a pair of brown loafers and wore them into work for the first time. During a conversation with a coworker, he looked down at my new shoes, his eyes went wide and he started to giggle almost uncontrollably. I wasn’t quite sure what could possibly be so funny. Did I somehow leave the house without pants? Did I step in dog crap or have toilet paper stuck to my heel?  I glanced down to solve the mystery and saw that the pair of clearance shoes I just purchased were not plain and brown. Instead, they had a tiny buckle on them and a very noticeable (in office lighting conditions) leopard skin pattern on the tops of each.

For the rest of the day, every time he saw me, he’d call me Big Poppa and follow the greeting up with a rap, “I love it when you call me Big Poppa. Throw your hands in the air, like you a true playa.” or “Pimpin’ ain’t easy but it’s necessary that’s why I’m chasin’ them ladies like Tom chased Jerry.”

Neither Pimping, nor being Frank is easy.