Ready for the new year, cut toenails and all..............

Cutting one's toenails is not a big deal right? So why do I make it into one (nearly) EVERY SINGLE TIME it needs doing? I hate it when other people touch my feet, but that doesn't mean I can't. I like to wear polish on my toenails, but when I do cut them, I butcher they because I know it will be a long time before I get around to cutting them again. The shorter the better right? Only this leaves me with only the tiniest of a little toenail and only a slit of a line of polish, which looks ridiculous, so then I try and paint directly on my toe to improve the look, but I am not an artist so I end up with a smeared mess. So then I just don't paint my toenails, but then when I look down they look all sad and naked. Oh the neglect is more than anyone should have to endure!

You think I would learn...Last time I went to a memorial service I left early to run errands so I put on my running shoes when I left the house and took the sandals I was changing into for the service. As I am sitting in the truck changing, I noticed that most (but not all darn it) of the polish was off most of the toes, which only enhanced the ragged, hacked, cutting job that had last been done on them. What was I suppose to do, I needed the heel on the sandal to keep the pant leg from dragging on the ground (rolled up pantlegs at a memorial service is too tacky even for me).

I really do have the best of intentions. I repeatedly plan out how I am going to learn how to take care of my feet and set aside time each week to do just that. I even got some of those funny looking spongy things that fit between your toes while you are painting them (they hurt when they are in place, but beauty is painful so I tough it out for as long as I can). I have an orange stick for pushing back the cuticles, a pumis stone to get the rough spots off the heels, an emery board for filing/shaping the nail (that reminds me of being in the dentist chair and having that yucky polishing thing done. Any vibration feeling makes me nutty).

Like I said, I have the best of intentions. It just seems that whenever the time to focus on my toenails comes along I find something better to do. What is the deal with that? How can I make myself care more about my toes appearance when I have gotten this far in life without doing so? Why am I writing an entire post about my toenails? Why am I jealous of other people's beautiful looking toes and feet? Why does my youngest take after me in this regard? Isn't it strange the things we pass onto our children?

Just in case you care, my hands are as much of a wreak as my toes. This doesn't bother me because since becoming a massage therapist I have had to come to terms with the fact that long nails just don't cut it in my business. Actually long nails do cut (and scrape and scratch as well) which is exactly why I can't have them in my line of work. This is a good excuse, so I can get away with my nails looking like crap. Somehow this puts even more pressure on the toenails to look good. I have a responsibility to all those shoes I own, and I am failing them miserably.

Maybe 2007 will be the year that I overcome my shortfallings in regards to my toenails. If anyone has any good ideas to help me with this problem, or a good book to teach me care and handling of toenails, please pass it along. They say admitting one has a problem is the first step in solving it. I am typing before you all now to do just that. Do you think there is any hope for me?