FEET IN A STRAIGHT JACKET
By Anita Boser, LMP, CHP

When a bolt of creativity strikes you, you probably think about using your hands. The hand's bones and muscles are capable of almost infinite movements, giving expression to creativity and feelings. Your hand has 26 bones, including 5 metacarpals in the palm, 14 phalanges (the finger bones), and 7 carpal bones in each wrist.

Notice the structural similarities between your hands and feet. Your foot also has 26 bones, 5 metatarsal bones and 14 phalanges (toe bones), plus 5 tarsal bones just in front of your heel. Your heel is made of 2 bones, the talus and the calcaneus. In addition, each foot has 31 joints and 20 intrinsic muscles, very much like a hand. Grasp your foot in your hands and notice if the five metatarsals (the bones between the toes and ankle) can move independently or if they seem fused together. Pretend to play the piano with your toes. Their design makes that possible.

Even though hands and feet have similar structure, they have vastly different function in our lives. Our hands are seen to connect with our intellect. They have fantastic opposable thumbs that are credited with the rise of civilization. Our feet are farthest from our heads, relegated to little more than supporting and moving the weight of our bodies. I feel the sorrow of feet that live lives in the drudgery of near slavery.

The feet's function is to support our weight. Their design can carry us with ease. Each foot has three arches, the recognizable medial (inside) arch, plus a smaller arch on the outside of the foot and an arch parallel to the toes. This triple arch structure effectively bears the weight of over a hundred pounds without sacrificing mobility or beauty.

In addition to supporting weight, the arches are flexible and can bend over uneven surfaces. Centuries ago feet walked over various surfaces, the smooth curve of rocks, the moist spring of the forest floor, and pebbles with their uneven protrusions. But now, we have ignored the full capabilities of our feet and scraped the world to make flat, even surfaces everywhere possible. To prevent roughness or irregularity from returning, we have sealed the flatness with concrete or pavement. In addition, we straight-jacket our feet in shoes that restrict the movement of muscles and bones, put our feet on an incline and even create our arches for us. Despite these self-imposed handicaps, our feet provide the support and locomotion that we demand.

I think that it is because feet do their job so well that we take them for granted. They symbolize our need to do and to accomplish and to keep going. They are the foundation for fulfilling our own responsibilities. Like us, feet do what is expected of them plus a little more. Then after a while, the straight jacket becomes familiar and then comfortable. Almost everyone else wears straight jackets with heels, too. It becomes normal, and the past days of freedom of movement, of play, of being able to dance are forgotten. After all, there is a fine line between being a free spirit and looking foolish. That is when the straight-jacket of duty turns into blinders that limit possibility.

The way that feet function in life can be a metaphor for how we function in the world. We both have the potential for so much more, but let duty and stoicism confine us. Meeting the needs of our feet can provide insight to living more fully. Bearing the weight of responsibility need not limit us from achieving our potential. Doing a job well need not restrict freedom to do anything else.

Let a bolt of creativity knock your shoes (and socks) off! Wiggle out of your straight jacket. Remember movement and feelings you once had. Allow your feet and yourself to move and feel in ways that are new. Creative expression need not come only from your head and hands. The rest of your body can contribute to the creative process. After all, what more is creative than unlocking
the full potential of human being?

This article was published in the April 2002 edition of Verve.

Anita is a Hellerwork practitioner. Hellerwork helps create new possibilities for being and awareness with a
combination of bodywork, voice dialogue and movement education. Anita can be reached at 425-765-2713.