Something’s Afoot

Ever notice how certain days seem to have a theme? This happens to me quite often. Today the people who were on the deck of the restaurant where I was eating all had something going on either with their feet or the way they walked. One person stood up to go back into the restaurant to get extra napkins. She shuffled her legs awkwardly as she walked. There was obviously something wrong either in terms of physical strength or mental coordination. Nonetheless, she walked confidently. She did not appear self-conscious. I hope I would have the same level of grace if I were ever in her situation. Another woman who was quite tall and wearing large sneakers walked with a tiptoe kind of walk, her feet jerky and a bit unsteady. The rest of her body moved gracefully. It was as if she was a totally different person from the ankles up. There were also two little girls having lunch with their mother. They looked to be about three and five years of age. They wore matching rose colored pants in a floral print. They were great walkers but their pants were overly long. They appeared to be the kind of skinny young girls whose bodies grow vertically but take a long time to start getting any wider. Perhaps their mother didn’t shorten their pants because she wanted them to fit next year too. Perhaps she did not sew. Meanwhile, they kept stepping on their overly long pants, though they seemed to take this obstacle in stride without any fuss. Finally there was a woman wearing leopard patterned, backless sandals that had a large bow on the front. Once she sat down she did not get back up for the duration of her lunch. She was sitting with the woman who had so much trouble walking. Her feet were slender, tanned, and shiny. I don’t know if she had slathered them with lotion or oil before lunch or what. She also appeared to have had a pedicure quite recently, complete with red polish. It was a pretty, unobtrusive red. I myself was wearing new sports sandals that my feet were getting used to, as were my hips. I felt as if I was in a Woody Allen or a Fellini movie. I also figured that the Universe was whispering to me. Telling me to pay attention to where I was headed and how I planned on getting there. Letting me know that it may or may not be an easy journey but to keep going forward. I made a mental note to remember this message, crossed my ankles under the table, took another bite of my delicious lunch, and got back to reading my book.

Cinse Bonino
2024