Warm Takes - Episode 3: Pedicures
On my 35th birthday my partner surprised me with a pedicure. I hadn't had a pedicure in almost 15 years. The first time I ever received the pampering of an esthetician was with an old college roommate. She invited me out since none of her gal pals could make the date. I'd never been too manly to get a pedicure, just too focused on spending any hard earn cash on beer runs and video games. But, I will never forget how surprised every one else in the chairs next to me was that I'd willingly take part in the ritual. I was the only guy in the building and judging from their reactions, it wasn't a common experience. I'm a bit of a gabber and ended up having some enjoyable conversations with the middle-aged women next to me. I remember thinking at the time, what a missed opportunity it was that the idea of taking part in pedicures and pampering was seemingly lost on most young men.
Being pampered feels great. If you've never had a pedicure before, please book one as soon as possible. Now, I'm not as big a fan of the manicure portion in "mani-pedi", so I support your decision on whether or not to add it to the stack. But a pedicure is an absolute joy. I admit, I'm a bit of a hypocrite here. As I mentioned, it had been 15 years since the last time I sat in the chair. I could list a million excuses why I never bothered to make an appointment on my own, but it really comes down to the fact that, although I enjoyed the experience, it always felt like an extravagancy. And I understand if your choice is a pedicure or a food for the week it's not worth it, but if there's a little disposable income floating around in your pocket...
As my partner and I had been stuck locked down for most of the last two years, this gift of self-indulgence was one of the few things we'd enjoyed outside of our home. She picked a place she used to frequent, The Ten Spot, in Port Credit and off we went. No kids. No rush. The Ten Spot, as I found out later, was not a local boutique, but operates over 30 locations in Canada and the US and are opening at least 10 more soon and it was easy to see why they were so popular.
The experience was just as I'd remembered it, but this particular locale adds a bit of flourish to the experience of my younger days. Need a champagne while the grind away years of unappreciated loafers? You've got it. So with what felt like nothing but time, sipping on a glass of champagne, I let the experience wash over me. It was relaxing. It was full of laughs with my partner. It was a bit of time we got to spend together taking care of ourselves. It was sublime. I'm not sure if having kids added more appreciation to the pampering or if it was the champagne, but it was wonderful.
I found myself raving about it to anyone who would listen for weeks after we'd gone. We've gone back a few more times since and, if I'm lucky, this will remain a part of our lives for the foreseeable future. Beyond the relaxing aspect of an hour of calm, it's impossible to understate how nice fresh feet feel. Did you know your feet don't actually have to be calloused and full of cracked skin? They can be buttery smooth.
The actual process is actually very calming. There’s a warm bath, comfortable chairs, some music or maybe even a tv show to watch. I even like the scrubbing feeling as they dig deep and expose skin that hasn’t seen the light of day. I swear I shed a pound by the end of the process.
If you are like me, you barely pay any attention to your feet other than when a sock fiber catches on a cracked toe nail or bit of dry skin or when you stub your toe on the coffee table that you were positive was another foot to the left. But our feet do so much for us. They keep us from falling over. They get us to where we are going. They let us know where lego pieces have been hiding in the carpet!
They are lovely to us and deserve a little care. And so do you. So book that appointment and thank me later.