Real Men get Pedicures

My wonderful significant other wondered if I would obtain a pedicure, a process  that is usually sought out by the female gender on the vanity quest of life. This ritual is usually more frequent in the summertime. Flip flops give way to baring the piglets of our feet. God forbid our toes go public with their disgusting contortions, dirt, hangnails, callouses, and a variety of other toe pathology. ” Sure!” I said with no trepidation. I am comfortable with my masculinity and would have no problem experiencing this commonly female ritual.

I found out that other men frequent the hand and foot salon where womens’ appendages become transformed into beautiful, clean-looking hands and feet. I was comfortable, sat down, and a pleasant Vietnamese woman began the process of exfoliating my fifty-one years of built-up, dry skin and scum. What I did not realize, as I sat with my girlfriend holding hands and laughing, I was risking,  doing something I would have never done in the past.

She was next to me getting her feet done by a very nice, young Vietnamese gentleman. We struck up a conversation and he asked what we did. Bringing up the book has become a routine part of marketing.  He showed interest and we briefly discussed abuse. Abuse is not just the sexually and physically abused. The minorities continue to be abused. All minorities have experienced some sort of victimization while they walk their own path. He stated he would try to make my next presentation.

During the presentation on April 22nd in walked our pedicurist. The pleasant Vietnamese gentleman showed! Wow! I was pleased and surprised.  He purchased two books. Both were for friends who have been abused. The karmic thread once again took control. One has to allow it to happen and then reflect on it. If it wasn’t for my girlfriend mentioning the pedicure, my resolution of the abuse, as well as understanding my own distortions about masculinity, we would have never met the Vietnamese pedi-artist and the books would not have been shared. Who knows where this story will still go? Will the individuals that read them be moved? Will they refer someone else? The Karmic thread continues.

Masculinity is a farce in Western society. Men have a delusion that pedicures may implicate one as “gay”, that it is not the “right” thing to do. I have reached a point in my life where I am very comfortable in my own skin. I am not worried about misperceptions of others. In fact they are just that, MISPERCEPTIONS. If one wants to get to know me, that is awesome, if someone wants to judge me based on their preconceived notions, that is fine also.

The foot rehabilitation was awesome. I got a massage as clippings of dead nails fell to the bottom of the massage tub. My feet and toes were clean and the massage was great. No, I did not walk out and have a compulsion to wear women’s underwear, and I did not go out and order quiche with a croissant. We laughed together, had a blast, and I realized that my history of sexual abuse had once played a role. Keyword, “HAD.”  I no longer hold onto stereotypes, and I will revisit the salon for another pedicure.

Risk. Life is always changing. Try new experiences. They will not hurt you and can be a lot of fun. Drop your preconceived ideas. Next week maybe a facial, who knows ?