Flip-flops… oh, the true shoes of summer. We whole-heartedly know the warm weather is upon us when we shed our boots and sneakers and allow our piggy-toes to oink in the sunlight. Polished or not.
I just bought myself a new pair of hot pink crocs. They’re a funky shape, shaped like a foot, but unlike most people, my big toe is not the longest toe. In fact, I have a deformity called Morton’s toe. So, even though I dig the color of these sandals, I am not too keen on the shape as it is a constant reminder that I am outside the norm. Oh well.
Unfortunately, flip-flops also mean constant dirty feet. Ugh.
Dirty feet walking the streets of town to school or the library. Dirty feet sunning on the beach, the finer black granules of sand sticking in between my toes. Dirty feet working in the garden, planting tomatoes or pulling weeds. Dirty feet treading through mulch-filled playgrounds. Dirty feet running through the grass after my toddlers.
When I was younger, I loved to be barefoot all the time. I remember one summer, I must have been no older than five. That summer, I stubbed my big toe about 10 times, literally. Looking back, how did I even accomplish this when my big toe is shorter than my second???
Living in Seaside, I also had the fortune of stepping on many lit cigarette butts and pieces of broken beer bottles. In addition, I loved to walk the boardwalk barefooted. One summer, this habit afforded me an amazing splinter over an inch long.
I must have been about 7 or 8 years old. I remember the intense pain, but refused to let my mom or dad extract the piece of wood. Unbelievably, the splinter remained embedded for at least two weeks. I hobbled along in stubbornness. Finally, I gave in. I mustered the courage and with the aid from the pus that had formed around the puncture site, the splinter released itself with only a small amount of pressure. It is truly remarkable how the body naturally wants to rid itself of foreign objects.
Ultimately, I guess dirt is a small price to pay for happy feet.
And now as a middle-aged mom of three, better dirt than splinters.
This is an original post for Jersey Moms Blog by Brenda Milouchev, a New Jersey mom.
Photo credit given to NJ.com by Andrew Miller/The Star Ledger.
The cast from “Biggest Loser” should not be on the beach
LOVE LOVE LOVE my flip flops. They come on the moment the temps reach 60 degrees and are only put away at the season’s first snow fall.