By MIMI BECKER

Coffee with Mimi

Through my long history with my big feet, the most frustrating fashion footwear item, also sometimes a necessity, is boots. There are all sorts of boots. There are high-heeled, knee high, sleek, fashion statement boots. There are high-heeled, trendy, short ankle boots. There are cute, brightly colored mid calf length rain or snow boots which go with nothing, thus requiring a change of shoe once arriving at the place of work. So, two shoe searches and purchases for one function — you know how that excites me.

President John Kennedy once said something like the best time to fix the roof is before it rains. So, if I took his very good advice to heart, I would shop for the rain boots, when?

It is always raining lately. When it isn’t raining, I turn to celebration. I go outside and run or mow the yard or anything besides shopping for boots. I don’t want to think about boots. I forget to think about boots.

Clearly for me, boots are just the symptom of the real issue.

I know what needs to be done. I am fully aware of deadlines and schedules and functions, which are the stuff of grown up life. I’ve been at it long enough to recognize what is happening and could happen and will happen.

If it isn’t raining now, it most certainly will be soon. So, I should get some boots today.

But, it is so much more fun to not think about boots when it isn’t raining. There is so much fun to be had. The boot shopping substitute activities are not always frivolous, however. They are just as valuable and significant for me. I don’t consider them a waste of time.

For example, running is very good for my physical health, not to mention my mental state. I solve many of the world’s, or local problems in my mind as I struggle along my route. Sometimes, I am concerned about remembering a stroke of genius, stream of consciousness solution to a particular project at work or home. I’ve been known to stop in at a local business and beg a scrap of paper and a pencil to jot down the essential points as a future reminder. I have the right shoes for running.

Certainly, mowing the yard is a productive activity when it isn’t raining. It is also another source of physical exercise, a double benefit. Mowing our yard ticks anywhere between 11,000 and 14,000 steps from start to finish. Nothing to sneeze at. I use old running shoes for yard work.

There are so many other things to do besides boot shopping when it isn’t raining. There are legitimate, long needed, to-do list jobs such as trips to the recycling center, or painting porch furniture and power-washing the gutters. There are also spur of the moment, grab the opportunity experiences like driving 3 hours to visit with my granddaughter. I have any number of shoe options for that adventure and she has yet to critique my fashion choice.

Come to think of it, the only intentional, pre-planned boot shopping result in my closet is a pair of amazing hiking boots. They are built to recover respectably from complete immersion in creek water. They are scuffed up from many encounters with rocky terrain. I went out purposely and bought them when I was the instigator of a hiking club during my teaching days.

Hiking boots look like what they are no matter what size is required. Big feet look just like little feet in hiking boots. They go with any hiking appropriate outfit. I smiled the entire time I was trying on and evaluating the available options. I cheerfully plunked down a chunk of money at the checkout counter with no hesitation and great anticipation. The usual trepidation felt at launching into a shoe shopping event was swept away by the visions of the weekly excursions into the woods on the trails.

Unfortunately, hiking boots are not attractive or practical accessories for most of my current daily activities. In fact, the boots have accumulated a layer of dust, which is not the result of a long walk in the woods. I wish it was otherwise, and it has very little to do with the weather.

Truth be told, 1) I am not going out in the world barefoot and 2) my shoe choice is generally adequately and appropriately in keeping with my attire for the functions of what I choose to do each day. Ah, there’s the real issue.

All due respect to the late JFK and his well documented facility for imparting timely, inspirational words, it may or may not actually be raining when decisions are made and executed.

He was not really talking about the roof and I did buy the hiking boots when I needed them.

I wonder if he has something astute and profound to say about the fact that I have let the boots gather dust bunnies in the depths of the closet instead of taking them out to enjoy the natural habitat of the real creatures.