Here's a picture of my slippers. You may recall that, in an earlier post, I said that one of the things I was looking forward to in retirement is being able to spend more time wearing my slippers. The biggest reason that I'm looking forward to that is that my feet really hurt when I'm wearing shoes. Wearing sneakers isn't so bad, but sometimes they hurt my feet too. When I wear shoes I get a pain across my feet just at the base of my toes. More so on my right foot than on my left. By the end of the day, when I get home, I just want to get out of my shoes and put on my slippers.
I got my current slippers for Christmas this past year. I actually ordered them on-line without having seen them in person or having tried them on. I know I was taking a risk but it seems to have worked out. I'd been looking at slippers for a while in stores and didn't find any that called out to me. A lot of the slippers I saw in stores seemed too stiff to me. I like slippers that are soft and flexible. Not just the top part but also the sole.
For a number of years, I bought my slippers from Lands End. But, they don't seem to sell them any more. The ones from Lands End were very soft and the soles were made from soft leather, not from rubber. Here's a picture of an old pair of slippers from Lands End.
I still have these and keep them in the stairway that goes from the kitchen to the basement - nice and handy. If I don't want to go up to our bedroom on the third floor to get my new slippers, I just pull these old faithfuls out and put them on. Ahhhh!
A number of years ago, I attended a presentation where the speaker talked about rituals of comfort. He spoke about how we all have these and how they make our lives ... well, more comfortable. Some people might always start their day by having a cup of coffee and reading the morning newspaper. Some might go for a run or go to the gym when they get home from work. Some people like to watch the evening news each evening after finishing dinner. These can be rituals of comfort. If you like to start your day off with a cup of coffee and the newspaper, imagine how out-of-sorts you might feel if you discover that you're out of coffee or the newpaper didn't show up on your porch. It would throw you off. We all have ways that we organize things and we take comfort that we can find things when we want them. Imagine if someone had moved everything in your kitchen cabinets and drawers to different locations and you had to search through all the cabinets and drawers to find something you always kept in a certain place. How disruptive that would be!
Wearing my slippers is a ritual of comfort for me. It's a ritual that provides comfort not only to my feet but also to my soul. (Pun intended.)
What are your rituals of comfort?
