In high school two of my best friends and I would compare our feet. Melissa's were dubbed cute and well proportioned, Joelle's were cute and little, and mine were...ugly. You see...I had these lovely large lumps on the sides of my feet called bunions. I'd like to thank my mother and grandmother for those babies. They were large, disfiguring, and gave my feet a bit of an odd look. Plus... wearing any sort of dressy shoe was a complete pain.
Because I apparently had "the worst bunions ever seen on an 18 year old" my doctor suggested they be hacked off. And when I say hacked off I mean my foot splayed open like a 8th grade science dissection project, pieces of bone removed, a pin shoved in, and then everything sewn back up into a neat little package that can't be walked on for 2 months.
Look at those lovely scars
Even after the removal of my bulbous bunions my feet still weren't too pretty, the scarring is still quite noticeable and that doesn't exactly make for a beautiful view. But to be honest that just doesn't matter much anymore. After not being able to walk on my feet normally for a few months after the surgery I became to appreciate just how miraculous those things attached to the bottom of my legs actually were.
Now, as I've been barefoot running I think I've come to see just how absolutely incredible our feet truly are. Not only can they get us anywhere we want to go... but they have 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. How freaking out of control is that!? In such a tiny space all of that is crammed in.
It's still hard for me to believe that so many intricate details go in too such a small and confined space. For such a small part of the body it really does have an impact on our everyday lives. We don't fully realize how much we rely on them until we can't use them or they are hurt.
What I've really been learning during this whole barefoot running experiment is how much we need to take care of our feet. After I've gone on a run it's amazing how nice it feels to scrub them down and give them a little rub down with some lotion. My feet love me after I do this and I really think that it's a key component to keeping my feet healthy and working in prime condition. It's also the key to keeping the rest of my body in sync. I've realized that when my feet hurt it effects the rest of my body. My ankles, legs, back etc. They are the key ingredient to the rest of my bodies happiness. So, regardless of whether they are pretty or not, I love my feet and love the fact that they do so much for me! So whether they are pedicured, dirty, buniony (is that even a word?), or not so pretty looking take care of your feet! They are the ONLY ones we get!
1 comment:
Aw, I remember when you had your bunion surgery and afterwards when we had to check that the stiches were ok after someone stepped on your foot (or something like that) at Seth's. And I completely agree--cobblestone filled Rome isn't kind on the feet so I've been thinking about mine lately too :).
Post a Comment