My mom noticed, several weeks after I was born, that as I was growing, two of my toes (the second and third toes from the big toe) of each foot were fused together. I had two toenails and two separate bones for each toe, but they were webbed below my toe nails. Of course, thinking that I was a total freak, she kept booties on me until she could rush me to the doctor and find out what horrible affliction had befallen me. The doctor told her there was no cause for alarm and that I had “syndactyly” affecting the feet. I don’t really think his terminology put her at ease. He told her that if they became a problem when I got older I could have surgery to disconnect the webbing and have two separate toes, “like normal” folks.
As I grew up, I didn’t really notice that I was that much different from any other kid. Although my brothers wanted to charge the neighborhood kids money to see “frog girl.” This really didn’t work since those kids grew up with me and had already seen this anomaly. They were not about to pay money to look at my feet when they could use the money to buy candy. Not much of an audience there.
My first big audience came when I took swimming lessons. It was early morning and the water was cold. I did not want to dip even one of my twin toes in that cold water let alone my whole body. A neighbor kid was there and blurted out that I should already be able to swim because I had “frog toes.” Wow, I wish my brothers could have been there to charge money then because even the lifeguards were huddled around admiring my webbed toes. They begged me to put my feet in the water and splash. I can’t really say that I am all that great of a swimmer because of my webbed toes, but I did pass swimming lessons! I always had a trail of kids behind me wanting to look at my wet footprints on the cement hoping to observe a frog-like footprint!
In high school, kids that I barely knew would see me in the hallway and ask, “How are the Twins doing?” Since I had very little talent, my “twin toes” somehow became my claim to fame.
I kind of liked being unique until I wanted to join the Armed Forces. My syndactyly feet were not well received. I was almost declined entry into the Armed Forces because they felt that my toes would be a detriment to my marching ability. I had to turn, twirl, “walk the line,” and run to show the Armed Forces personnel that I could in fact walk and run like a “normal” person. This turned out to be a real challenge for me, not because of my twin toes, but because I am not a very coordinated person! I can trip over a lint ball.
When toe rings became the rage, my daughters begged me to go into a shop touting “Custom Toe Rings” and put my foot on the counter and ask for a special order! I wonder if I would have been charged for two rings since it would have to wrap around both toes?
Many people have asked me over the years why I haven’t had my toes surgically separated. The Twins have never really given me any problems. I still wear sandals and paint The Twins along with the rest of my toes.
I am actually quite fond of them and hope we remain together always.
I could choose to feel like a misfit because I am different; instead I choose to celebrate my uniqueness! Long live “The Twins!”
