Shyheels

Bean

Chivas

Well, if you look at the results of the recent European elections there would not seem to be a great deal of complacency around and about the constituency when it comes to the idea of a bigger, more intrusive, Brussels-run Europe

Kinglier

In point of fact it is Americans who are taxed twice, with their income being taxed at both state and federal level (with the exception of a couple of states - three? Four? - which do not have state income tax) And then they have to pay for their health insurance and from what I understand from friends who live there this is no small deal

Tolstoy

Anna

Amazing

Coup

Having lived in the US, Australia and the UK i simply cannot understand how anyone can defend the US health care system, let alone believe that it offers better value for money than the NHS or Australia's health care system.

Verse

We certainly do have plenty of CCTV here in Britain. On the other hand, you do have the NSA

Line

Many thanks. It is nice to be here!

I have followed threads etc for some time and in doing so feel I already know a few of the people on here. I would love, for example, to have commented on Meganiwish's post about Gabriel Garcia Marquez - an author I liked too - and have followed Ilikekicks' (sp?) local government campaign, and have often wondered what Shafted foes up in Maine, an area I used to know well many, many, many years ago.

As for me I am a late comer to the world of high heels although my interest, in a way, goes back a long time. When I was a kid (late 60s/early 70s) I fancied a pair of tall boots like some of the girls in class wore and felt rather put out that, for me, a guy, such a desire was simply not on. I was quite a daydreamy kid, and the early 70s was such a blurry time for gender in fashion, that I didn't actually catch on for a while that those were 'girls' boots that I wanted and being a kid who didn't want to stick out any more than I usually did, I was mortified when I found out they were strictly for girls.

And so I shelves that thought. Over the years when autumn would roll out I would once again be reminded that I would like to be able to wear such boots, and over many years simply shrugged at the impossibility of such a thing and put it out of my mind. I envied women the ability to wear them, but did nothing about acquiring a pair myself. I should add that my liking for high heeled boots was nether fetish nor obsession. In fact for much of the year I seldom gave it a thought - until autumn and winter and then I would be reminded.

Similarly, I am not interested in cross-dressing or indeed, in any other style or design of women's shoe. I just fancied a pair of tall high heeled boots. Simple.

Anyway, this past autumn, the 56th of my life, being reminded yet again it occurred to me that in fact I could buy and wear a pair of such boots if I liked. No laws would be broken, no damage done, the world would continue to spin. It was like an awakening. And so I gave myself permission to do so. Not being a secretive sort I told my wife straight away about this revelation of mine. She was a bit bemused, but having managed a heavy metal rock band in her younger days (early 80s) much of her surprise centred on my not having acted on this years sooner if that's what I really wanted to do.  (Although to be honest the desire to act on this vague wistfulness hadn't fully blossomed until this past winter)

And so I went shopping. Trouble was, I have seriously big feet - at least a size 46. In my trawls of the internet I came across this site and was intrigued. I also found that finding boots I liked, outside of a fetish shop, was not going to be easy. And the last thing I wanted was tacky fetish shoes. As I say, this desire was and is not rooted in fetish. Anyway, I had a bit of a windfall and sprang for a pair of black suede over-the-knee boots by Jean Gaborit, with a 4" heel. I love them. Putting them on for the first time was, and is, every bit as nice as I imagined it would be. And continues to be.

I don't wear them outside. Were I totally a free agent, I would without question, for having given myself permission to do this in the first place I found that I unburdened myself of loads of old hang-ups. But I do not live in a vacuum and trotting around the town in high heeled over-the-knee boots would create a lot of awkwardness for others. And I am quite happy to wear them at home. I work from a home office and so I wear them nearly all day every day and have a quiet chuckle to myself when I read articles and threads about whether or not over-the-knee or thigh-high boots are appropriate office wear. They are in mine. They are de rigueur in fact!

A long first post I know, but the welcome mat suggested we introduce ourselves....