A Leg up

You see strange things sitting on the beach, particularly on July 4 weekend at the busiest touron beach on the entire island. Here is where you see all the people in socks and gold necklaces, here is where you witness people sprinting across the beach with their feet shooting flames like a Bugs Bunny cartoon because they didn't realize the sand gets hot; and here is where the rinse cycle of the traffic circles deposits the contents of the SUVs and minivans who have been orbiting in a nearly inescapable loop for four hours until they realize the circle has EXITS.

So far be it for me to be surprised by anything that comes along. Yet on Saturday, I was sitting at Coligny (against my better judgment) and saw a man, walking up the beach, with a fake leg — complete with sock and shoe — in one hand and another sock and shoe combo in the other hand. This causes one to ask questions, none of which leads to good thoughts. Where is the person who belongs to this leg? What are they doing that they don't need a leg, or, at least, one of their shoes? And why was this man walking away with it, as, regardless of whatever activity they may be doing, they would surely require a leg upon its completion?

Later in the day, we spotted it: an old woman was walking back up from the beach, with prosthetic leg attached. Seems she had just been out for a dip in these warm South Carolina waters. And who has a problem with that? Not me. But had the guy walking up the beach been followed by a mad, hopping woman swinging an umbrella and shouting expletives in his direction, I wouldn't have been surprised either.