Why Boots?

There was a time, long ago, when upon my feet were shoes of a different type. Not six inch high heels: they were left behind as the years rippled past. But I mean shoes more condusive to a UK-lifestyle woman. Flatties they were, but with buckles or narrow laces, looking lightweight and feminine. But there has been a metamorphosis, as you can see. Into boots I have permanently gone because:

1) They are warm. Thick soles mean distance between my toes and the cold earth. My toes were complaining so much about being cold that I had to listen to them in the end. Otherwise, I fear, they would have gone on strike.

2) The bigger the foot area the less likely it is to trip up or fall into potholes, molehills, builder's stuff, and everything else that lays in wait for the inappropriately shod feet.

3) The possibility of slipping over diminishes, although does not abate entirely. The daily commute involves travelling over tarps laid on the ground in an attempt to keep the floors of our living and working accommodation mud-free. It sort of works, providing it is dry. Rain and earth makes mud which sticks to everything. The tarps don't work so well then: the mud makes the surface of them slippery, and they tend to retain puddles where the ground is uneven. Hence the urgent need for boots. The wearing of them helps me to scamper nimbly (?) over the tarps, skithering over this bit of mud, sploshing through that mighty puddle so I don't slip and end up on my bottomly end.

4) They keep me walking upright. Now this might seem a strange comment to make, after all if I am awake and out of bed then I should be walking upright. Yes, but, there is no clear, uncluttered ground to walk on here. Oh there is the hard surface of the lane, but I have to walk across muddy ridges of ground to get to it. It is rough underfoot here, that is what I mean. So I found myself walking with a permanent stoop, always keeping an eye out for what my feet would be walking into. Round shoulders became my mode of carriage. I was becoming bent over. But with boots on my feet I can boldly stride out, disregarding all that gets in the way. My head can be held high now, and my shoulders have straightened. I also can hold my stomach in, which helps combat its tendency to flop forward, by bosom also tends not to look so floppy, and I can focus properly on convincing myself that I do not have a double chin because I can hold my head higher.

I was managing with other shoes until recently, then NO MORE! My feet finally said, "BOOTS! WE NEED BOOTS!" And so hence my metamorphosis from dainty, elegant female (?) into striding, hell-for-leather, female which is probably who I was meant to be anyway!

Not only that, but you also have a glimpse of my legs. Yes! I am bold today! For once where there was unclad skin, there is now........wait for it...............THERMALs............long johns!!!!! Mostly permanently worn and sometimes feeling glued on when the night is cold and there is a need for them not to be removed.

There once was a time when stockings and other stuff was the mode of undergarment and shoewear. But, as you can see, it is now very thick socks, very white longjohns, ....and BOOTS!