NPR - Ode to Barefeet

I've written I like to walk around in my barefeet when I'm home and outside around the home. And I've written last winter and into spring Raynaud's Syndrome found my toes, or at least they showed me my toes are now part and parcel with the Syndrome with the hands. Over a period of a few days in the late spring, the toes swelled up, turned bright red, and was very painful when put in warm or hotter water. And then the ends completely scabbed over similar to mild second stage frostbite.

In the end, it took until July for all the scabs to clear up and the toes resume normal size, look and feeling. Except this fall, the problem came back, with the first cold snap followe by a warm spell, normal for the northwest in mid-to-late fall. And the toes continued to go back and forth into the winter until the cold settled in for the season.

Well, I still like to go barefoot, always when the weather is warmer and occasionally when it's not so warm. During extreme cold persiods, however, I now resort to those socks with the individual toes (I call them sweater socks). And even now when it's still January, the toes are showing the effects between cold and warmer weather, even with the socks.

In addition, the little toes are always slightly swollen and the toenails black. Walking around in the early morning hours my little toes become the 5-mph speed bumpers for my feet and often hitting some piece of furniture results in lifting the nail from the toe and putting it back. This creates a blood clot under the toenail for months until it grows out and the black disappears, but only if I don't stub my toe(s) again.

But that's not the point here. It's about going barefoot.

I decided after turning 60 last fall to get my ears pierced, common these days for both sexes. Well, the holes are healed even though I haven't hit the 6 months period when I don't have to wear them full time, but I find I like wearing them. And yes, I've learned the lesson of hearing one drop and suddenly finding myself on the floor looking for the lost earring and clasp.

Well, that happened this morning in the kitchen. But I couldn't find the clasp, so I wrote it off a got another one from a pair with the same size post (why they're all different escapes me). When I went to leave the kitchen after filling my coffee cup and making a crumpet with butter and jam, my foot stepped on something small. This is common there because of bits and things are always falling on the floor between cleanings.

But this time I stopped and reached down to discover the clasp sitting there under my foot. So going barefoot, even in the coldest weather has some advantages. Besides their freedom to be toes.