Is it Stylin' or Stupid?

Hey all,

I often come upon subjects for this blog without even looking.  I'd say it's a gift, but in actuality it's just luck.  I find see something, my imagination kicks in and before I know it, another blog is written.

That's what happened the other day when I was walking back from the store.  And it only cost me some skin and a little bit of self respect.

Now I've been all over the world and I've seen some pretty crazy things, but I have to say some of the craziest have included clothing trends...what people take as style.  I tell you there has been plenty of times I wanted to make a citizen's arrest and call the fashion police for a pick up!

Those fashion faux pas have included...

1.  Clothing that was way too tight for any man to wear.  In fact, I've wondered if the guys wearing those tight jeans will ever have children. (everyone has seen this horrifying pic!)

2. Skirts that would have been put to better use as placemats..or napkins.

3.  Bathing Suits that shouldn't be.  (I've done entire blogs about those!)

4.  Color combinations that made my eyes bleed.  And the scariest thing about some of those was they were designer stores.  That meant people were paying big bucks to look like total idiots.

5.  And lastly...footwear.  Some of it is beyond ugly and many styles are downright dangerous.  And that's what this blog is about...sort of.

Now, I'm a more of a barefoot type of gal and when I HAVE to wear shoes, it's usually flats. And  after over a year in Europe with all it's cobble-stoned streets and even worse, I figured I had seen and walked on it all.

Well, less than a week in Brazil and I realized just how wrong I was.  I didn't expect to have trouble walking, even on the less than stellar sidewalks they have here.  Flats remember?  But (see the capitals here) OH, MY GOD, forget cobblestones... Hello, roads and walkways made of cobble boulders!  And don't even get me started about the so called brick and tile work they use on the sidewalks.  They are death traps disguised as art.

What really gets me are the women down here.  I can't decide if they're brave or simply foolish.  Even with some of the absolutely worst walkways in Christendom, they still wear the tallest high heels they can find.

Is it because they have to be stylin'?  No matter what the cost?  Do they even know they are putting their lives in danger?  How many broken ankles will it take before they realize how silly they are?

Except here in Curitiba where, I have to say, the women have a lot more smarts than in other cities.  Most of them, and I mean a good ninety percent wear flats of some kind.  But unfortunately it doesn't always work.  I can't tell you how many people I've seen trip and sometimes (me included) fall on their face.

So much for stylin.

I've decided that in Curitiba the sidewalks are scary they're so dangerous.  A simple ten minute walk to the grocery store, and I burn more calories hopping over chunks of broken stone and sidestepping holes than I do during an hour's aerobic workout!  Whew!  And I'm not even going to talk about dragging a shopping cart and bag home over all the obstructions.  You know it's bad when you choose a store that's farther away, even though you're walking because the sidewalk is in better shape!!!!

Part of the reason for this are the trees planted along the roads.  The roots have a life of their own, pushing up and through the tiles and stonework.  Pretty, but Hell on sidewalks.   Yet while the trees have created one problem, we humans created another.

All in the of name of art.

That's right.  The sidewalks here are actually beautiful--what's left of them.  They are made of tiles and stone pictures all carefully and intricately put together to make art.  Unlike the boring but wonderfully smooth concrete walkways in most cities of the United States, a lot of sidewalks down here are made of thousands upon thousands of individual tile or stone.  Which leaves plenty of room for roots to push through, slow and steady sinkage of a section or even worse, huge holes created by weather or sudden shifts in the dirt below. 

Well, they do say that art can be dangerous!  But who would have thought they actually meant that physically?

And so even flat shoes, sandals or sneakers aren't much help when you're tripping over dislodged stones or falling face first in a hole the size of China.  Maybe that's why some of them wear four inch and higher heels.  They can use them to climb out!!!

So, Curitiba, I love the idea of the artsy-fartsy stonework, but maybe next time you can keep in on a wall or a ceiling.  Anywhere I won't be walking!

Anyway, I'll be back on Sunday with some news about my Free Read Blog, plus an excerpt from the brand new fantasy story I'm writing for NaNoWriMo!!!

Have an awesome rest of your week!

Hugs,

CJ England

Follow Your Dreams

http://cjengland.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CJsaysFollowYourDreams