By N.A. Booko
Pittsboro, NC – When I was about nine years old, we lived in an old mill house and only the sitting room and the kitchen had any kind of heat. My bedroom was three rooms away from the nearest warmth. But I did have a feather mattress that totally engulfed me, plus maybe four or five quilts on top of me. I didn’t turn over a lot.
Any winter’s morning stepping out of that warm bed onto ice cold linoleum would curl my toes and the mad dash to ‘the stove’ were done, I can assure you, was done in a super sonic flash. Part of that three room trip with thru the living room, which had a cloth carpet and did almost feel warm compared to the linoleum.
Now, living here in Chatham and being past age forty five, I am not quite so adventuresome walking barefoot. As a matter of fact, it is just something that I can’t do anymore. Don’t know why, but I just can’t walk without some kind of shoes.
I do remember the early years of living here in Chatham, I did wear so called flip flops to my regret. I had more accidents with those things! I once stubbed my toe and broke it. It has been a pain the arch ever since.
I mean like, just how cheap can they makes shoes? Even in this high dollar economy, you can still sometimes buy “accident waiting to happen flip-flop shoes” for a mere dollar.
Perhaps I am wrong to still be calling them shoes? But not wrong to be calling ‘cold’ cold. I am just able to swing with it when frigid temps wanna pierce my ears and other parts of my body.
Note: You can buy quite a large outside thermometer at the dollar stores to better see how miserably cold you are.