feet

[egypturnash]

Earlier today I was lying on the couch. I needed to go in to work, because there is a bit of crunchtime going on, but I really didn't want to. At all. I hate getting on the bus and going the same route on the weekend that I do every weekday.

So I was still not dressed. I don't think I'd even showered yet. I was stretched out on the couch with my long, skinny feet up on the arm. "Wow, my feet are pale and veiny. They're sure not pretty feet," I thought to myself. And I started wiggling my toes.

I came to regret this very quickly.

Like the fingers, the toes are controlled by muscles a good ways away. Finger muscles are near the elbow; toe muscles are near the knee. Long tendons extend from the little lumps of muscle at the joint, out through the wrist and ankle, to the last joint of the fingers and toes. I'd never really looked at how the toe tendons are articulated, however.

This weird, pale, lump was flexing on the outer top side of my feet, in concert with my toe wiggling. I never knew until this morning that the toe tendons pass, almost, through the side of the ankle, rather than the top*.

It was repulsive. Yet fascinating. I couldn't stop staring at this unexpected ugliness of my body and invoking it, despite it being nasty enough that I said things like "I did NOT need to EVER see that. Aaaah!" to the thin air.

* though now that I think about it, and compare the bone structure of the limbs, it's not at all surprising; we're just used to holding our arms twisted so that the outside is the top...

Comments

[mass-repeat.livejournal.com]

Heh, after reading this post, I started looking at my feet too. The veins/tendons/whatever do look quite strange, all wiggly and stuff. o_o

Think of it as..

[(Anonymous)]

...a very clever system of levers and cables. Which is what it is.

Feet, actually, are amazingly complex things: they have to articulate in a number of very different, precsely-controlled, carefully-harmonized ways in order for humans to walk upright.

Since they do, however, humans can take advantage of one vital fact: two legs are more efficient than four. Humans can cover more ground more quickly over several days' time than any other land animal because they burn fewer calories, mile for mile and pound for pound of body weight.

This has resulted in numerous extinctions, the spread of the human species and its ideas, and the Boston Marathon. Hands and brains get all the credit, but human feet, I think, deserve an equal share.

(Also notice what happens when walking becomes obsolute: we become noticably ovoid)

--PushTheCow

[ursulav.livejournal.com]

Human feet are ugly as sin.

Functional, very wonderfully functional, as beautifully designed a shock absorber as a primate could wish, but uuuuuugggggly.

[arphalia.livejournal.com]

I've gone over my my left ankle three or four times. One of these times left something to stick out a bit just under the skin on the outside, under part of my ankle, whenever I moved my foot a certain way. I was evil and used to have friends put a finger over the spot and then move my foot to gross them out.

Its been absorbed by the body a long time ago but I still have no idea what it was exactly. Bone.. bit of torn ligament with no where to go.. No clue. It was really weird there for a long time.

[hydra-velsen.livejournal.com]

What I find amazing is just standing in place, and looking down at the toes. You can watch as the toes make minute, completely involuntary wriggles and presses that keep us balanced and upright. these tiny motions happen so rapidly that they can stop even an imperceptible sway in the body before we're even 2% off our center of gravity. It's only when we seriously lose balance that the brain and spinal cord reflexes engage emergency routines such as bending the knees or extending arms in front of us to catch ourselves. But yes, feet are ugly things. Their design is elegant, and absolutely amazing under the skin, but regular, fully-covered feet are hideous things.

[kliefox.livejournal.com]

Hm... Never really thought about that until now, but now that you mention it... *wiggles his toes*

[maui.livejournal.com]

I think feet are beautiful. Apparently it's not a common opinion. o_o They're wonderful, functional pieces of anatomy, and they're as full of character as hands are.

Besides, you know what they say about guys with big feet...

[corvirax.livejournal.com]

Besides, you know what they say about guys with big feet...

They have big shoes. Yup.

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

They have a hell of a time finding high heels that fit?

[trikotomy.livejournal.com]

My kidneys (http://www.esg.montana.edu/esg/kla/ta/kidney.jpg) are functional and full of character, but beautiful they are not.

What do they say about guys with big kidneys?

[hydra-velsen.livejournal.com]

They piss a lot.

[nigel.livejournal.com]

Wow. Those are your kidneys? How'd you get the all the way up in there? *grin*

[trikotomy.livejournal.com]

I have powers you do not want to comprehend.