Wrong Feet

When Scott was about a year old, it was clear to us and to his pediatrician that his feet turned in pretty severely. He was, in two words, pigeon-toed. Our pediatrician, Dr. M. Everett Truitt, thought this was worth treating. He did two things. First, he put Scott into a sleeping brace, and second, he prescribed shoes designed to straighten his feet out.

The sleeping brace was essentially an aluminum bar about a foot long, with shoes positioned at a proper angle at each end of the bar. We put him into that brace every night before bedtime so he slept with his feet properly positioned.

The side effect of his wearing the brace was that when Britany got up in the morning, she wanted her playmate. She would go to his crib, lower the side rail, put her arms around him, and fall backwards so he landed on her. She led him into the living room while he crawled with his brace dragging along, and they would watch TV first thing in the morning.

He wore the special prescription shoes on a daily basis. They kinda looked like they were turning his feet in the opposite direction from pigeon-toed. One day I was with the kids shopping at the local grocery store. It had been a hectic day — I was busy, frustrated, and tired. Scott was in the shopping cart kid seat when this little lady came up to me and said, “Mister, mister, I think your son’s shoes are on the wrong feet.” Not being my most gracious self, I replied, “That’s how we punish him.” She scurried away. I can hardly imagine what would happen had I done that today, with all of the political correctness and child protective services. I’d probably be in jail.