He wasn’t supposed to be wearing these shoes, you know.

These were his new shoes, bought for the start of the school year.
You don’t wear new shoes when mowing, you wear your old ones.

I didn’t realise the mowing had stopped, but I did hear the front door bell.
He was ashen faced when I opened the door. “What’s up?” I said and he silently pointed at his shoe.
At the hole in his shoe.
At the hole in his shoe through which his (perfectly intact) sock was showing.

We sat him down. Reassured him it was OK. Took the sock off and marveled that the nail was split but the sock was intact. Heard how, when mowing up the hill, the mower had slipped back and cut through the top of his new shoe.

And we were very glad he was wearing these shoes.
His new shoes.
The old ones were a much closer fit.

Best value-for-money pair of shoes.
Ever.

More careful mowing in future.

Dr Wendy Burton
January 3, 2020