Every time I talk to my grandpa he has a life story to share, full of wisdom. I told him about my blisters from my 38 mile hike and he was very firm that I tend to them with exceptional care. He told me about the “biggest man in the world” that died from an untended blister on his heel.
Story has it that when my grandpa was very young he would run along the fence of his house as this giant boy walked by on his way to school. The boy was so big that when he carried his text book in one hand all you could see was the four corners of the book. He was 8 feet tall. I asked them what they used to feed them out there in Illinois. My grandpa is a very big man himself, so for him to describe someone else as “big”, it’s saying something.
Moral of the story: Even the biggest, strongest man alive can be taken down by an untended blister.
He laughed gently when I told him that one of my toenails is falling off. He assured me that it will grow back. But I could hear the smile and pride in his voice. It’s not everyday a grandchild walks nearly 40 miles and only suffers a couple blisters and a missing toenail. haha!
Taking Paths Less Traveled 