There's a metaphor here. I just know it.
How far down on your body will you use soap in the shower? I go about an inch below the knee, if that. Jerry Seinfeld has a bit he does about this very topic. He pretends to be confounded as to why people don't use soap on their feet in the shower as, one would assume, feet to be the body part most in need of daily washing. I can't quote the bit verbatim but Seinfeld basically implies that washing ones feet is omitted from the daily ritual out of pure laziness.
Whaaats' the deeeel with thaaaat?
As much as I dislike over-analyzing a funny bit of standup, I am compelled to do so as I feel the situation contains a metaphor more revealing, perhaps, of the human condition than is suggested by Seinfeld's joke. It is my theory that what keeps one from washing one's feet in the shower is not laziness alone, but a combination of laziness and fear. Namely, the fear of loosing your balance and cracking your skull open on the silver shower valve.
So, how do we justify walking around on our or filthy calves, ankles and feet? How to explain this deliberate neglect of the workhorses that are the very foundation of the body? We use more shampoo and more soap, believing that the extra run-off will trickle down to the underserved and overworked areas existing below the knee line. Sounds good on paper.
Is the fear of falling in the shower truly justified given the growing scumminess of our bodies calves?
posted by Peter @ 8:00 AM
7 Comments:
I laughed out loud at that and I don't mean that in the dreaded LOL kind of way. I mean I actually laughed. out. loud. I think the fear of slipping thing is true. As I am reading this I thought, maybe it's better to take bathes..as for feet and all. But then we are sitting in the dirt that came off our feet. Grosser to me than just leaving the feet dirty in the shower.
Lisa
Yeah, bathes are just a disaster. Not dying in the shower is a promise I've made to myself. No feet of mine are going to make me break it.
My shower stall downstairs has a little built in shelf / slash seat which is very good for not dying while washing your feet in the shower. Someone was thinking.
Dale, that's cheating! But, be honest, how often do you really sit and scrub your feet?
Is that getting to personal? I feel line I'm crossing a line.
Are you saying it's easier to stand and scrub rather than sit and scrub? Don't make me take photos Peter.
OK, Dale, I believe You. But you can't tell me you haven't fallen asleep "at the wheel" so to speak.
Maybe but people don't think 'Finally! Someone who doesn't have that Peter feet smell'. :-)
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