An Ode to my Feet

Here they are, the lovely feet that carry me everywhere:

You may be wondering what inspired me to write this post. It is an odd topic, but I think it is important. The other day I was off to a meeting and I ran into a friend. I was wearing my chaco sandals that I wear nearly everyday and she looked at my feet and said, "You need to paint your nails girlfriend." While I understand that my feet don't look that great, I took more offense at the comment than I should have and I wanted to know why. After thinking about it for a while, I realized it is because I have a deeper connection to my feet than most people probably have. Don't worry, I don't have a fetish or anything like that, but I am very grateful to have two feet that take me where I need to go.

I have this connection to my feet for a variety of reasons, but I didn't truly understand it until I took a course in Medical Anthropology. Throughout the course we discussed a variety of cultural issues relating to health such as deaf culture, blind culture, the culture of mental health care, etc. We also talked about how our cultures would change if we went without a limb or a sense.

This became real to me because as a child I broke my leg due to a tumor and I was unable to use it fully for about nine months. I knew what it was like to go without. I could no longer play soccer, ride my bike, play tag, or participate in PE. My entire identity changed for those nine months and I did not like that.

As I grew older I reintegrated myself into sports, especially running. Running to me is more than just a way to stay in shape. It is a therapeutic, meditative act that is incredibly integral in my life. If I go too long without a run, my entire outlook changes. I have worked through some very real issues during runs and I have learned how to push myself to my highest limitations and even beyond them. I could not do this without my feet. I could not run, bike, do yoga, climb stairs, hike mountains, or go on walks with my sister in the same way.

Though I have more blisters and callouses than anyone ever should, currently have my left toe wrapped in a bandage, have zig zag tan lines from my chacos, and have really rough looking toe nails, I don't mind. My feet do more for me than much else in my life, and for that, I appreciate them.