One Year Later
Just about this time last year, I was doing a household chore, blew out a flip-flop, stepped over a pop-top, tripped, kicked an immovable object, and ripped off a nail.
Wrecking my big toe impacted my daily routine for far longer than I would have guessed, and it isn’t over yet. The dumbest part? It was totally preventable. How many times have I said “Wear the proper shoes for the job!” I’ve even been known to deliver colorful sermons about foot wear. (Just ask the crew or my students!)
So, here’s what I’ve learned from this escapade.
The nail on your big toe takes ages to grow back. When it does, it’s ugly and misshapen. In the meantime, the nail bed is super sensitive. Bandaging is difficult. Walking is painful. Even a bed sheet draped over the foot induces agony. Thankfully, some super-genius invented a silicone cover that rolls over the injured digit to protect it. Totally worth a couple bucks to have in the med kit!
I thought about including “before and after” photos, but I heard The Captain’s voice in the back of my mind saying, “You don’t need to share.” Instead, here’s the friendly public service announcement.
SAILING AND WATER SPORTS
I know a lot of folks like to sail barefoot, so hopefully you grok this. Injuries seldom happen in convenient place or time, and a simple foot injury can be debilitating. A minor cut on your hand is no fun, but the same cut on the ball of your foot might mean you can’t walk. Please wear some kind of closed toe shoe or boot on the boat. Something that is grippy on wet surfaces. A large number of sailing injuries are caused by slipping on the deck. It should also protect the foot from sharp objects and getting injured by other feet stepping on it. The back half of the injury equation is the healing process. If you get an open wound on your foot, and then soak it in the bilge, lake, or ocean, guess what’s going to happen next? Yep, infection. Your journey to good health just got a lot harder.
FLYING OR TRAVELING
Dad used to tell anybody who would listen that best clothes to wear for an airplane crash were bluejeans and cowboy boots. I’m not sure if it’s the best answer (I never saw cowboy boots in dad’s closet,) but I still repeat his advice to wear clothes appropriate for a hike in the terrain over or through which you are traveling. I can’t tell you the number of folks who show up to the airport wearing shoes that aren’t suitable for a fashion runway, let alone walk a few miles in terrain more rugged than a white sandy beach. If your vehicle becomes immobilized, and you’ve got to hoof it, appropriate protection from the elements and a good pair of shoes sure would be nice.