I'm not sure if it was a slow news day, or if we as North Americans are just a tad 'out to lunch', but when a simple running shoe makes national headline news I'd say something's a little off with the picture.
At one time he was a just regular teen in school who happened to like to sing and play guitar. He was good his former teachers say, the type of performer who gave you goose bumps as he played in school stairwells. His mom believed in his talent so much so she decided to broadcast his songs over the internet... and almost overnight he became the hottest young music sensation to hit the stage in recent times. There's likely few young girls on the planet who don't know his name and also few who wouldn't give their right arm for a chance to meet him. His name is Justin Beiber.
Now 17, Beiber made his big public debut in 2008 and he's never looked back.
Good for him, I'd say, it's a nice story.
What's funny though, is how crazy the general public becomes when a celebrity like this enters the picture. Back when he was just like you and I, just a few short years ago, attending school in rural Ontario, I be willing to bet nobody took notice of what kind of shoes Beiber was wearing, let alone thought of purchasing them, that's sure not the case today.
Earlier this week it was announced the young singer donated his purple running shoe (just one) to his former school to be auctioned off on Ebay as a fund raiser. As of Wednesday morning there were more than 100 bidders and the price was up to a whopping $10,000. People are travelling to the smaller country school from all corners just to take pictures and to say they have seen the shoe. Wow...
Good for Beiber for stepping up to the plate and helping out his old home town. This is not a knock against him, nor the school I guess for seizing an opportunity to make some good dollars to boost their programing.
I just can't for the life of me though, see such huge interest in a single purple running shoe (albeit it is signed by the artist), I really don't care whose foot it was on.
Then again, like a lot of things on this planet, I suppose not everything has to make sense.
By the way, for anyone who's interested... you have until this Friday, March 11 to put in a bid!
