These days, I'll go into meetings and check out the shoes of the person I am about to engage with, as they more often than not give me more of an insight than a CV could ever do.
This is the recipe we could apply to our council when trying to work out why and when they make the decisions they make - or want to make, but can't leave the loungeroom of their "say no" slipper-wearing voters.
Perfect case of finding one's voting feet is the Tauranga Domain Stadium, especially after the magic day yesterday. The domain could well be a lesson in footwear apparel that determines where the elected members stand on this piece of hallowed ground.
While some of the members want to wear diamonds on the soles of their shoes and say yes to TDS, the reality is they shuffle around in slippers, almost in sync with the audience they are handcuffed to and who will ensure their re-election - to do some more shuffling.
Yes, there are a couple of sharp shoes who see the big picture of potential Tauranga and a much-needed TDS and yes, there are a couple of Roman sandal-wearing theorists who will walk to their own beat - albeit about themselves, but what we need now, more than ever, are a couple of Nike-wearing councillors who want to "just do it".
Yesterday, we got a glimpse of the potential pulling power of a stadium and it looked cooler than my first pair of winklepickers.
Tauranga had its domain doors opened wide for the world to see what Taranaki and Hawke's Bay have been looking at for almost as long as the last time the domain was packed to the rafters with 28,000 rugby supporters (me being one of them), some 44 years ago, when the British Lions roared into town.
It still remains a highlight for me and ignites a fire that burns for more of the same so that one day I can watch my mokopuna walk out on to a TDS equal to anything else for the long right crowd of Aotearoa to be entertained in.
With the demographics of our city changing quicker than Imelda Marcos changed her shoes, we need to be not just talking the talk that our council are over-qualified at, but start walking the walk.
One such Nike-wearer is Paul Adams, the chairman of Civic Amenities Group, who wants to get on with just doing it.
I asked him yesterday, after the losing match, what his thoughts were about what we have now and what we could have as a purpose-built stadium in Tauranga.
"Not only could we present Tauranga City in its best light, but provincial and even Super 15 rugby could be played here in style - not to mention the Rolling Stones or Paul Simon wearing diamonds on the soles of his shoes.
"With the new wave of growth in Tauranga City, the demographic age has lowered dramatically, and these new ratepayers will be more demanding of civic amenities - which smaller cities such as New Plymouth and Napier have already recognised and addressed to ensure their cities prosper, significantly based around civic amenities and an inviting CBD for people to congregate."
Makes perfect sense to me so let's say yes to a TDS - and say no to those who keep saying no to the much needed civic amenities that other cities have been enjoying for about as long as I have been wearing shoes.
If we can combine our collective voice and say yes to TDS the days of our decisions being made by shuffling slippers could turn a new corridor in the council chambers.
For this to happen we need a mayor and elected members who can pull on a pair of Nikes and just do it and take Tauranga to a future of civic amenities we all want for our tamariki.
-broblack@xtra.co.nz
Tommy Wilson is a best selling author and local writer.
