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In the story a young woman wants to be shown the "cruel shoes." The clerk tries to talk her out of it, tells her they're not fit for humans, but she's undeterred. She wants those shoes. She puts them on, and, with her mangled feet bleeding, she crawls to the mirror and says, "I'll take them."
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British women are now wearing the highest heels. Here's a little chart for you if you want to fly over to make some purchases, or just watch the women walk around.
A couple of years ago my book club read a serious book about Japanese foot binding. Little girls went through the hideous ritual of having all of their toes broken and then folded back. Why? Because it made them more attractive to men. We all thought this was totally disgusting, all the while some of us (not me) were wearing stilettos.
You may look at this beautiful woman and fantasize about what she's thinking. I KNOW what she's thinking!
I need an Advil or an epidural!
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