How I wonder…

How I wonder about the length of my toes.
When having a bath or putting on socks I often wonder about my toes. I wonder why my second toe is longer than the big toe, or I wonder why my little toe seems to have an introvert-like tendency and hides behind the toe next to it.

Toe Shapes ©KuvatON.com

On searching about toes I discovered Morton and Morton’s toe or commonly known as Greek Foot.

Morton’s toe is named after Dr. Dudley Joy Morton (1884–1960) and describes the “condition of a shortened first metatarsal in relation to the second metatarsal.(1)”  He basically gave a label to the phenomenon. He considered it to be a deformity and wanted to correct it by putting an extension in the big toe for severe cases and by placing a pad under the big toe in minor cases. He said it was genetic and that it could be the cause of back, hip, and knee pain, and among other things arthritis.  He was one of the first Western medical professional to link feet issues with the rest of the body. People with Morton’s toe can suffer from high arch pain. I used have pain relating to high arches in my teens and 20s when I played sport but not now. I had forgotten about that.

Morton’s toe has been around for much longer than the life of Dr Morton as you can see displayed in the Greek statues from a much earlier period in time. Both men and women in the statues are depicted with Morton’s toe. Having a longer second toe was considered beautiful and was the aesthetic standard for many centuries. Next time you visit the State of Liberty, check out the toes. It goes back even further than that.  Iron Age bones show Morton’s toe in a skeleton from Danebury, UK as shown below. (2)

So do I have Greek or Celtic toes? Definitely Greek. I found that if one has this trait it denotes “leadership qualities.” (I read it online so it must be true!)

I wonder if there is a correlation between Morton’s toe and Autism?

(1) Wikipedia, Morton’s toe
(2) Current Archaeology, Footloose in Archaeology, June 8, 2007, by Phyllis Jackson for full article

Foot detail of red-figured amphora – Athens c.490 BC The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York ©Howard Hibbard

Sleeping Eros Rhodes c.200BC (bronze on marble) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York ©Howard Hibbard

Gravestone with relief of girl with pigeons – Paros c.450BC (Parian marble) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York ©Howard Hibbard

Iron Age man ©Phyllis Jackson

MUSIC
Gwen Stefani – Yummy

The footprint of music

domestic dog

Music is a bit like a footprint in the sand. Birds, animals and humans make their way along the sands of the desert or the beach and each makes their own unique pattern, the depth, the gait, the speed, the rhythm are all recorded briefly in time. Some imprints are left for others to see, others are washed or blown away never to be seen again, some imprints are preserved for all of time, fossilised in rock for us to ponder on who or what made the impression. We wonder about the weather, the environment, the mood, the company. We wonder about a great many things. The grains of sand were once shells or rock, time transforms everything. From dust back to dust.

I added a Music page to my blog. A place for a growing collection of songs that will lift the mood and let me soar.

I also included my theme song, my pick me up song, the song to get me out of bed in the morning or off the couch?? The song that I play once daily, the song that kicks me into gear. The one that switches me on. The one that energises me to do something active. I don’t have to be able to sing along to it even. Do you have a theme song? Did you ever have a theme song for say… studying? Set your alarm with  your theme song.  I hope this will help. If this song doesn’t work I will try another.

MUSIC
Areski Belkacem – Magicien, Magicienne