New shoe warning label: Inspect inside before wearing

“Always check your shoes and boots before putting them on,” Grandma Martin warned. She said one of her grandsons fell into that habit after getting stung by a scorpion lurking in one of his shoes. I told her I had not seen any scorpions around. “They’re around,” she said. “They don’t want you to see them. There’s also black widows, centipedes, and all manner of stinging creatures looking for hiding and nesting places and your shoes attract them.” Occasionally, and not even  close to always, I recall that warning and closely examine my footwear before sticking in my feet. “One can’t be too careful,” I recall her concluding. Those in her day had to be extra careful. She had to wash clothes, prepare, cook, and serve food, and do it all and much more in a house without running water or electricity. She couldn’t afford to get sick. Survival was of an utmost concern in the Missouri woods with no neighbors nearby to rely on in case of need. She also could not afford to have a family member down with an illness. That meant she then had to find time from her usual, daily multiple chores to doctor a loved one, which she would tend to rigorously and religiously. Most of us today will never hear of such warnings from a wise grandmother. A cab, a neighbor, someone is usually within reach by way of a cellphone and doctors and clinics are not far away. But, like I said, I do sometimes search my shoes before planting my feet. One can’t be too safe any time.

Grandfather Martin offered the same advice, but in a more colorful way as was his nature: "Remember, the horse always kicks, the dog always bites, and the gun is always loaded."

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