Jul 23 2004
But where did she get the shoes?
When I was in college I had these guy friends who like to “joke” about a woman’s place in marriage/ the home. When these conversations came up, inevitibly so would this joke:
Q: Why did the pregnant woman cross the road?
A: Who let her out of the kitchen and where did she get the shoes?
Well, I have a question… where did she get the shoes? And if she was pregnant, were they shoes that were her normal, pre-pregnancy size or were they purchased a size or two larger, because some women’s feet grow a size or two during their pregnancy? Were they still comfortable at the end of the day or did she beg to be barefoot by 5 pm after being up and about all day?
I kept myself very busy yesterday afternoon- I cleaned, rearranged clutter, washed my car, went grocery shopping, and reupholstered a chair seat. When I sat down around 9 pm I had no ankles. I couldn’t fit my feet into a pair of shoes if I had wanted to.
I have purchased 2 pairs of shoes this pregnancy- both a size larger than my pre-pregnancy size. And now I am finding difficulty fitting into those shoes. This morning my ankles returned, but I look at my shoes with dread. I know I have to wear them to work- it is part of the company dress code and I think there is something about OSHA in there too- but I really wish I could be barefoot.
The phrase “barefoot and pregnant” has taken on a totally different meaning to me. It used to be a deragatory phrase. It meant (to me) that women should be only in the home, making babies and why would they need shoes because they had no reason to go anywhere.
Now “barefoot and pregnant” means a state of finding comfort during an otherwise uncomfortable time. I may still have to purchase another pair of shoes to wear to work, but I promise they are coming off my feet as soon as I walk in my back door.
