The Wintet Solstice marks an important change in Nature when the days start becoming longer. Well this solstice marked a change in my life . It was the day I decided to throw away my high heels. For some one who is short and fat this was a bold decision.

I have always been obsessed with shoes. My clothes may not be trending, but my shoes – they had to be just so. Everything was fine while I was still a kid. Our choices were limited with school shoes being black, tennis shoes being flat soled basic Keds, rain shoes being gum boots that squished and collected water making your toes stink, rubber slippers that we called Hawais which doubled up as bedroom slippers and beachwear and of course a pair of party shoes that were either Mary Janes or Ballerinas. That was a pretty extensive variety of shoes to choose from !

Luckily, my shoe size didn’t change much so I could get good wear of my shoes for at least a year or two unlike my friends who by 12 were wearing their mums’ shoes !

It was this slow growth that stopped at UK size 3 that caused all my problems as an adult.

Very few shoe shops kept a wide range of shoes to choose from. So when I found a shoe that I liked I would buy three of the same .

Thus my modest collection slowly grew to a dozen or so. And they were in all kinds of heels – wedges, platforms, kitten , block and my pride and joy – 4” high stilettos.

My joy in wearing stilettos was short lived because I became pregnant soon after. I spent the next ten years looking at them longingly. I didn’t dare wear them with a babe in arms or doing errands in the go.

So gradually, the stilettos vanished from my shoe drawer. Slowly, kitten heels, and block heels went out of favour. And then the wedges. Last to go were the platforms. Initially, I loved the platforms that gave me height as well as the safety of wearing heels. But gradually I began tottering, walking in the typical rock & roll movement of a fat, aging granny. I was scared my foot would slip and I’d land up with a twisted ankle or worse still a fracture.

Who was I trying to kid anyways ? My hair was grey and frizzy. I needed a moment to stretch when I stood up from a chair. I was an old granny.

No amount of heel would disguise my lack of height or create the illusion of slimness. So I decided to give them the boot.

And I went to the big family do at a swank restaurant where everyone towered over me and enjoyed dancing away in my very flat sensible low heeled slippers .

Getting rid of my heels made me free to dance. I could walk without wobbling and enjoy myself once more. Free from the bondage of high heels, I could be myself once more.

Perhaps I should buy some flat sandals or slippers in different colours.

Ciao