Maggie's Farm

My dear mom--and her mother before her--believed in the importance of "very good"shoes for children. From the beginning I wore high tops of sturdy white leather--the had an ever so slight arch in them. Later,my mom made certain I always had two new pair of Buster Brown shoes per year. In high school, I could have one pair of one (and later 2 inch) heels for church and going out, but I still had to wear either bucks, or saddleloafers(the expensive ones of thick leather, with very good arch supports). I am so glad my dear mom, working to support the family, found the money to make sure I always had good shoes. Later, during the hippie years, some podiatrist (Berkeley I think) came up wiht the "evolutionary", or was it "ecological" idea that children should be taught to walk like apes (we are so close structurally, and man should never have stood up straight anyhow). From that point on children's feet have gone unattended. They are encouraged to become flat footed--nearly to the point of being club footed. The result of that new "moderne" idea about children's feet has given us two generations of kids who are flat footed to the point of nearly being disabled. But, alas at least they are pacificsts--because, they can't wear those army boots, or hike, or run with any endurance!! Not sure that we should have addressed the slightly turned foot, in the same way that is demonstrated in "Forrest Gump". But, I am damn sure that flat footed, club footed and clumsy is not an improvement either.
Thanks mom,