Alice: Oh no! Im falling over! Alice: Here I go! Alice: Ha ha ha! Mom: Alice. Get up off the floor. Alice: The mirrors are the only fun part of a shoe store
Now, shoe-fitting X-ray fluoroscopes, THAT was what I call fun! (The last recorded sighting of a shoe-fitting fluoroscope in service was in Boston in the late 1970s!)
One of the things I like about being “grown up” (and out) is that my feet don’t change size and I can own a dozen pair. When I was a kid, it was saddle shoes, saddle shoes, saddle shoes. And, Erik, I agree – I loved those flouroscopes.
Yep, I can visualize my green feet with the bones in them. We’d stand in front of the device, stick our feet into a recess at the bottom, and peer down onto our X-ray’d foot inside a shoe. We could watch our bones wiggle. Magic! . . .Later there was talk about radiation correlating with higher cancer rates, blah de blah. But it was fun while it lasted.Re: Fun with mirrors – once when I was about twelve, I spent quite a few minutes walking around our little house while staring at a mirror under my chin. I pretended I was walking on the ceiling and having to step over a high barrier when going into another room. (That was the wall between the top of the door and the ceiling.) I amused easily.
I was born in 1967, and I barely remember fluoroscopes. Only I mis-remembered them as electric scales with a back-projected moving display. Didn’t know why they had them in the shoe department of J. C. Penny’s, until I read about them more recently.
They were all unplugged in my childhood (’50’s) — still on the salesfloor though. A blast of x-rays through the kiddies’ feet and on into their gonads…cringe!
.Sorry, Night-Gaunt, I certainly didn’t want to make light of cancer. My mind must have slipped into neutral. I even thought of putting “etc.” before I posted, but somehow didn’t. I had an uncle on both sides die of it, plus two of my mother’s sisters, a favorite first cousin, and a friend.
Other than my dad (stomach cancer) most who I personally knew die of cancer I can say “deserved it” as they were evil. Most of the shoes I had as a kid and teen were purchased used (until I had my first summer job in the 50s and bought some really expensive ones, and by then the fluoroscopes were gone.
barbara chaffin Premium Member about 11 years ago
how cute!
Linux0s about 11 years ago
The shoes are just a distraction.
Sisyphos about 11 years ago
At least Alice can still enjoy a trip to the shoe store. Have fun, Alice!
erik.vanthienen about 11 years ago
Now, shoe-fitting X-ray fluoroscopes, THAT was what I call fun! (The last recorded sighting of a shoe-fitting fluoroscope in service was in Boston in the late 1970s!)
puddlesplatt about 11 years ago
I sold shoes in the late 50’s, and smelly feet are not my cup!
Dani Rice about 11 years ago
One of the things I like about being “grown up” (and out) is that my feet don’t change size and I can own a dozen pair. When I was a kid, it was saddle shoes, saddle shoes, saddle shoes. And, Erik, I agree – I loved those flouroscopes.
Gokie5 about 11 years ago
Yep, I can visualize my green feet with the bones in them. We’d stand in front of the device, stick our feet into a recess at the bottom, and peer down onto our X-ray’d foot inside a shoe. We could watch our bones wiggle. Magic! . . .Later there was talk about radiation correlating with higher cancer rates, blah de blah. But it was fun while it lasted.Re: Fun with mirrors – once when I was about twelve, I spent quite a few minutes walking around our little house while staring at a mirror under my chin. I pretended I was walking on the ceiling and having to step over a high barrier when going into another room. (That was the wall between the top of the door and the ceiling.) I amused easily.
Ermine Notyours about 11 years ago
I was born in 1967, and I barely remember fluoroscopes. Only I mis-remembered them as electric scales with a back-projected moving display. Didn’t know why they had them in the shoe department of J. C. Penny’s, until I read about them more recently.
JP Steve Premium Member about 11 years ago
They were all unplugged in my childhood (’50’s) — still on the salesfloor though. A blast of x-rays through the kiddies’ feet and on into their gonads…cringe!
amaryllis2 Premium Member about 11 years ago
Through the eyes of a child. Alice just made my day.
Nicholas Theodorakis about 11 years ago
It’s impressive how well Richard remembers “kidthinking.”
snoopy323 about 11 years ago
True that
Gokie5 about 11 years ago
.Sorry, Night-Gaunt, I certainly didn’t want to make light of cancer. My mind must have slipped into neutral. I even thought of putting “etc.” before I posted, but somehow didn’t. I had an uncle on both sides die of it, plus two of my mother’s sisters, a favorite first cousin, and a friend.
vldazzle about 11 years ago
Other than my dad (stomach cancer) most who I personally knew die of cancer I can say “deserved it” as they were evil. Most of the shoes I had as a kid and teen were purchased used (until I had my first summer job in the 50s and bought some really expensive ones, and by then the fluoroscopes were gone.
Gokie5 about 11 years ago
That nearly always seems to be the way . . .