Grace, Grace, Egg on her Face

Goose eggs from the Fair Food Farmstand in Reading Terminal Market--they're about the size of your fist.

Ok, Graces, looks like I goofed with yesterday's post. Got a lot of interesting feedback and commentary from my fellow Graces and ultimately concluded that my personal preferences regarding footwear were stated a tad strongly. (I really do love shoes, and I really don't like bare feet outside of Yoga class, beaches, or the bathtub, but that's my obsession, not everyone else's.) My characterization of the shoeless jane also may have been construed as potentially insensitive to cultures who eschew shoes for cultural, climatic, or religious reasons. The point is, I am calling myself out. It would not be very Gracious of me to ignore my own gaffe when I spend my days cataloging the Grunts around us.

So. I confess to a big goose egg on my face with yesterday's post. Here's the revised version of the advice.

Dear Teach,

Ah, yes, the personal habits of others.....

To the extent that the barefoot contessa is violating any type of health code, dress code, or hygiene protocol at work, her supervisor can and should intervene--and if that has to be done with a tip from the peanut gallery, i.e. you, so be it. Know that when/if barefoot identifies you as the stool pigeon, she will treat you differently, but at least your initial concern will be addressed.

If the lack of footwear does not violate any codes or guidelines, and the boss, the students and the parents are unbugged, you simply must grin and bear it. It's not up to you to regulate the wardrobe choices of others no matter how much they may differ from your own. (I confess to a personal bias against bare feet in this type of setting, but as I am not Queen of the World, alas, I must accept that different folks have different strokes.)

Thanks for writing!
SG