Sensible Shoes

A friend and I had a philosophical discussion about women's shoes recently.  She maintains a pair of high heels to wear for special occasions.  She admits to being able to stand in them, but walking is another matter.  I have reached that golden stage of life when you couldn't get me to wear high heels, even if you paid me.  I'd rather have happy feet nestled in, heaven forbid, Sensible Shoes.  I gave up high heels eons ago when I realized that I sort of tilted forward ever so slightly and appeared to clomp around in them.  The discussion with my friend went on to such other hot topics as makeup, nail polish, jewelry and elaborate hairstyles.  What happened to me, I wondered?  I used to have several shades of polish, luxuriated in the latest mascara and shade of lipstick, owned more pierced earrings than I could conveniently store, and thought that a blow dryer and curling iron were necessities.  Perhaps it was getting cancer and losing my hair completely that made me see it differently or perhaps it's just a quirk in my personality, but over time, I gave up those things, too.  I now wear hair so short that I can comb it with my fingers.  I wear the same earrings almost all of the time. And if you count my colorless herbal lip balm, then I guess I have lipstick.  I no longer have to "put on my face" or "do my hair."  Instead, I comb my hair with my fingers, put on my herbal lip balm and dig out my Sensible Shoes.  In about five minutes, I'm ready for the day.

Well-Heeled

I've been seeing the most amazing shoes on women lately -- thick-soled, ultra-high-heeled creations in bright colors.  I haven't actually seen any women walking in them but I've seen lots of photographs of women standing or sitting in them.  As I get older, I embrace comfortable shoes -- the kind that I can stand and walk in without feeling as if I'm going to turn an ankle or squish my toes into a permanent point.  As a young woman, I scoffed at the thought of ever reaching that tender age when wearing "sensible shoes" would seem so appealing, but alas, I've reached it (I have to admit that I reached it a while ago).  It's no wonder that podiatrists are treating so many bunions, hammer toes and other foot ailments.  Women, especially, tend to think that it's a good idea to cram our feet into fashionable shoes, yet secretly wishing that we were wearing simple flats. If life's a dance, I'd much rather feel the beat with happy feet!