Archive for the ‘Shoe Repair’ Category
Are the Feet a Window to the Soul?
The ordinary shoe has long been a metaphor for the human condition. A man’s shoes can even be said to represent who he is. An old saying of uncertain origin says that a wise man will not judge his neighbor until he has walked a mile in his shoes. Apparently the range of feelings imparted by a pair of shoes give a good indication of the man’s character. Perhaps he is only angry because his shoes don’t fit quite right.
Remember, after all, that it was even speculated that the reason for the ill temperament of the Grinch Who Stole Christmas was that “his shoes were too tight.” If poorly fitting shoes could so transform an ordinary sole into a Grinch who cannot stand the very thought of Christmas joy, one can only wonder what other miscreants from the history books were motivated by bad footwear. Perhaps Nero only fiddled while Rome burned because he could not run to get help with sandals did not fit properly. Did Henry the VIII receive a gift of boots from Anne Boleyn that were the wrong size? One can only imagine the agony that Billy the Kid’s boots caused him.
If the true reasons for the behavior of movie characters were known, famous lines from classic films might be rewritten. Marlon Brando might be remembered for the line “I could have been a contender, if only these shoes had a little more toe room.” Did Darth Vader turn to the dark side because he was promised the opportunity to put up his feet and take off his painful Jedi footgear?
The best advice anyone might receive to avoid ending up like these characters is that if you find a comfortable pair of shoes, hang on to them forever! Some of the cowboys of the Old West seemingly took this advice to heart, when they vowed to die with their boots on. Apparently, their boots were so comfortable that they could not conceive of an eternity if Heaven without them.
Even animals can sense the importance comfortable footgear holds for the human race. Dogs realized early on that a man could be tamed by bringing him his favorite slippers at the end of the day. Such was the gratitude bestowed upon the dogs for this simple act of kindness, along with the occasional chewing to pieces of a bad shoe, that they forever became known as man’s best friend.
Maybe all this preoccupation with the feet can be explained by reflexology- the belief that various spots on the foot are indicative of the overall health of the body and that a skillfully applied foot massage can cure all ills. Maybe the whole idea of people turning bad because of their shoes is nothing but nonsense, and they would have turned out to be heels either way.