Shoes and Stars. What do they have in common? Well...

Let me tell you a little story. (Don’t worry, the analytical part is coming up after the story.) Once upon a time, there lived a group of stars. (Bear with me here.) They were very close to each other. They liked the same things, laughed at the same jokes, and cried at sad movies together. Even though they had other friends, these stars were very, very close. One of these stars was named Sally. Sally’s other friends, the shoes, liked her, and had been her friends for longer than the stars, but they didn’t quite understand the stars, or Sally. She grew closer and closer to the stars and farther and farther away from the shoes. After a while, Sally no longer looked like a shoe at all. She looked just like the other stars. Sally was very content as a star, but one day, all of the stars were taken away, leaving Sally without true friends. Sally didn’t know what to do. She knew that she didn’t want to be a loner, but there was nothing else for her. Sally worried and worried over this, and after a while, she got an idea. Her old friends, the shoes, would probably be her friends, but she would have to look like them first. So Sally went out, bought a shoe costume, and put it on. It was very uncomfortable, but anything was better than being a loner. The next day, Sally, with her costume on of course, went to the shoes. The shoes welcomed her back. At first, Sally would say very un-shoe-like things. The shoes would look at her oddly, and ask her if she was all right. It didn’t take very long before Sally never slipped up. The shoes didn’t even remember the Sally hadn’t always been a part of them. Sally did though, but as the days wore on, Sally became more and more used to the way the costume pinched and poked her. Sally would have forgotten too, if the stars hadn’t contacted her. The stars invited her over to have fun, and to remember the good old days. Sally took off her shoe costume. She noticed that she wasn’t as bright as she was before she took to wearing the costume. She shrugged inwardly. Sally spent a day with the stars laughing, crying, remembering, and having more fun than she had had for a looooong time. Soon it was time to go. Sally said goodbye and went home. When Sally went to put the shoe costume on, she saw that she was just as bright as before. The shoe costume pinched and poked just as much as it had at first. That is when Sally realized that she HATED pretending to be a shoe. She wasn’t a shoe. She didn’t want to be a shoe. All she really wanted was to be a star.

Now for the analytical question: What should Sally do? (Does that count as an analytical question? It should.) Three possible solutions:

1- Sally could brace her individuality, forget what the shoes and everyone else thinks, and be a star right where she is.
Pros to this plan:
-She can be who she wants to be
-No more smelly shoe costume
Cons to this plan:
-There are no stars where she is
-She would be a loner

2- Sally could forget what she wants and keep on pretending. Eventually she might even turn into a shoe.
Pros to this plan:
-She will not be a loner
-She would have friends
Cons to this plan:
-Smelly shoe costume
-She wouldn’t be happy

3- Sally could run away to the stars. That way she could be with her friends and be herself.
Pros to this plan:
-No more smelly shoe costume
-She would be with her friends
-She could be herself
Cons to this plan:
-Questions
-Would the stars still want to be her friend? She has changed a lot.
-How can she run away?
-Is it worth it?

So, all you readers out there, (I know there are at least 3) what would you tell Sally to do? Remember, you have Sally’s happiness in your hands.