The phrase "don't judge a book by its cover" is one that I have come to believe in strongly. I think that appearances are deceiving, and that people often have more to them than what they portray on the surface. If someone would have met me junior year of high school, they would have thought that I put a lot of effort into what people saw when they saw me. Which was true. I piled on eyeliner and lipstick and made sure my outfits matched my shoes. I wanted to impress people.

Granted, that tells a lot about who I was at the time, because I was insecure and wanted to look good for others. However, that is not who I am.

Those were just my desires. Even then, there was more to me than the surface let on. People saw a made-up face and nice clothes and made their conjectures about what kind of person I was. That is what people do. We judge without trying.

My feet on the other hand (lol, get it?), might be able to tell you more about who I am. Yes, you read correctly. I think my feet represent me quite well. First of all, my feet are quite large, especially for women's feet. My feet are a women's 12, or men's 10 and a half. This quite accurately represents me. I am a tall person who is proportioned well. My feet fit me.

My feet are also quite gross. The varying reasons for their grossness, however, are important things in my life. The skin on my feet is pretty dry most of the time because I am a swimmer. The chlorine sucks the moisture out of my skin, and leaves my feet dry and crack-y. When my feet are not dry due to chlorine, they are full of dirt, blisters, and mosquito bites thanks to my love of camping. On my canoe trip this year, I got a nice little surprise addition to the list of maladies my feet were exposed to by contracting some poison ivy on the top of my left foot. That was a delight.

I paint my toenails probably 2-3 times a year. Right now, I have leftover nail polish on my big toe from February, and it is yellow. I think this represents quite well the attention I put into how I look now, as well as my favorite color (conveniently).

I have come a long way since my junior year of high school, and now only occasionally wear make-up or nail polish. I am not saying that the way I put myself together now is better than the way I put myself together then, only that the way I live now I am more comfortable.

I am more me.

I like not having to worry so much about how I look, and just accepting the way I look without any help. Don't get me wrong, I definitely think I am prettier with makeup on. I just like not having to put in the extra effort.

If you judged this article by its cover, congratulations! You are a human. I hope you enjoyed reading about my feet.