The reason this has been in my mind was that in my journey round the country this week, I ran two workshops for groups  who happened to end up  being all women in their 30’s to 50’s . On both occasions I was the only woman in the room who was childFREE.

And its funny,  ‘cos what with us trying to look after the planet it amazes me how many people are still chosing to have more than two kids, of course  it is absolutely their choice, and it is just as well I did not have my ‘quota’, but should be showered with gifts by people who have over done it at the children shop-ha ha (a kid at Mr GP’s play centre was asked if he was going to have any brothers and sister and he said  ‘no ‘ his mummy and daddy did not go to that shop any more). And don’t get me wrong. I spend my life hanging out with kids. I can talk to and understand their needs as well and better than many who have given birth to them.  Got more than my fair share of empathy at the sensitive shop. Funny how so many people think that only by giving birth do you or can you understand children. I consider myself to be  parent…I just don’t have any of my own, and there is no special day in the year for me when I get cards.

So when someone with 5 kids came round to my house and showed  such visible moral outrage at the amount of shoes I owned, I was slightly surprised, did she not see the irony in her protestations?  In fact it is amazing how many people come round to my little flat and feel it is ok to express outrage at the fact that Mr GP and I have  50 pairs of shoes between us. I don’t express outrage at the amount of children, cars,  plane rides they take, so why do I get it right between the eyes for  owning several more pairs of sensible shoes than is perhaps normal? My Carbon  Footprint is  substantially lighter than  many – I don’t fly, own a car, eat fruit and veg from Argentina and Chile, or have any children – so how come I hear… ‘my God you have so many shoes’ so often, in a tone that suggests I am killing people, or something as morally reprehensible?…I wait with  trepidation  as people invited into my home return from going  down the corridor to use our facilities. ‘my God you have so many shoes’ -sometimes I actually hide my shoes, as I cannot stand the idea of people going on about it. ‘my God you have so many shoes’ And  feel so free to go on about it too! Is that really ok?

So I have about  25 differing styles of sensible shoes that I walk everywhere in ( as I don’t drive). I wish there were more lovely, funky, shiny sensible shoes, as my idea of heaven is a pair of shoes I can stand up in all day, run for the bus, that are good to look at, and don’t look like horrible orthopedic shoes,  like my Dad  has had to wear all his life which look decidedly like a pair of MBT’s I have, that I wear when I need a little stretch in the ankles and calf muscles department -these  have to win medals for ugly shoes dot com.

Coming a close second for ugly but amazingly comfy  are crocs, which should never really be worn in public, BUT repeating myself for effect, they are the most comfortable shoes in the universe

I now have a pair of Croc boots which cover all bases as the are sooooo comfy and do not make me look like a complete nerd when I am out shimmying around town… I also love Vans (which are almost indistructable) and Clarks originals

BUT so many sensible shoes in the world are designed for the  middle-aged, elasticated waisted lady and I will never, never, never, not ever, even at 90 be driven to wear such terrible footwear –  or blinking soppy New Age shoes, that say …wow I am so New Age…no, no no, no – cannot go down that slippery slope either.

I wish I could wear high heels now and then…purely ironically, now and then, but there are several reasons why I do not. The first is that I tend to look like a man in drag when I do, second I do not have a degree in circus skills, which I think you really need, to be able to wear high heels, so as not to fall off them and break your ankles, and three I just understand why anyone would want to be so uncomfortable. It is funny that so many men men design them but usually  chose not to wear them….

Control the women….ever seen a woman in very high heels trying to run away?

SONG OF THE DAY

NOT ENOUGH SONGS ABOUT SHOES..I did write a little round about my sensible shoes lately, but today I think the  shoe song award is going to have to go to the lovely Elvis Costello  – Red Shoes. Have a good day  x x

Vive les chausseurs et les enfants!