BAREFOOT

When I was a kid… I always delighted in running barefoot through the grass, dodging honeybees on the clover and dandelions. As I’ve gotten older, I do the same thing in the spring and summer. During the autumn I like the crunch of leaves under my bare feet. As a result… I hate socks. I don’t normally wear them. They feel like heavy lead weights around my ankles. I know what you’re going to say… it’s winter, now. I realize that. BUT… even in the dead of winter, I don’t wear them. That includes making a quick trip down to the store or post office… I’ll wear my shoes or boots, sans socks. I kid you not. You’d think I was from Florida or something. With frigid temps outside, during this time of year… I ought to be happy for feet cover-ups. But I’m not. They genuinely irritate me. They make my feet hot. Too hot, to be comfortable. I don’t know why, but I prefer to be barefoot, when in the privacy of my house, especially in bed. Something liberating about my bare tootsies touching the cold sheets or hitting the wooden floor, when I get up. However, I must confess… I do occasionally wear knee-hi hose, particularly if it snows outside, so my feet don’t get too wet, inside my boots. Not that they’re a lot of help. Hose… I tolerate. But it’s my only concession. I’ll also wear them… if I might be tempted, to try on a new pair of shoes, at the mall. Truth is, I don’t like shoes or slippers, anymore than I like socks. I once owned a pair of soft leather Ballet type slippers that were as comfortable as going barefoot. I wore them everywhere I went… inside and out. Eventually, I had to toss them out, because I wore holes in the bottoms. I’ve tried to replace them, for years, but everything available is fluffy and gaudy. So I own no slippers. No socks. No slippers. Barefoot is what I like. On the other hand, shoes are a necessary evil in civilized society. You must wear them. It’s mandated. The problem is my feet are so small and wide… that finding the right size, is always a problem. If I can’t find them… I’ve been known to buy children’s shoes, instead. As a young woman in my twenties and thirties I wore stilettos. Today… I’m paying the price. With arthritis in both legs… I can hardly stand up these days… much less balance myself… on a skinny little heel. So, when I find a shoe that fits, and keeps me firmly planted on the ground… I buy at least a half dozen pairs of that brand, in that style. My FURLA days are numbered. GRASSHOPPERS are my favorite… along with a pair of zippered TOTES boots. Boring, I know… but functional. The rest of the time… you can find me… barefoot and too old to get pregnant.