Walking Back to Happiness

The weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Kirkcaldy was held on January 23rd at the Dean Park Hotel. President Dallas Mechan welcomed 22 members of the club, one visiting Rotarian and 3 guests.

Past President Anne Mitchell introduced Alice McCreadie, a sixth year pupil from Balwearie High School who has been selected as Kirkcaldy’s “Euroscholar”. Along with 30 other Scottish students and student attendees from all 28 European Union countries Alice will visit the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The visit will be for 5 days and will include a visit to Germany and meeting with Scottish MEPs. The visit will culminate in a debate in the main parliamentary debating chamber on many issues facing the European Union.  Hopefully, along with dispelling the notion that Scotland is a country of “Hills, sheep and bad weather” the students will emphasize that Scotland is truly welcoming.  

The main, guest, speaker was Dr. Bharti Rajput with a talk entitled “Walking back to Happiness”. Bharti is a multi-award winning foot expert and director of “Sole Body Soul” a podiatry clinic based in Dundee. She explained the difference between Chiropody and Podiatry and how she feels that the soul can be rejuvenated through one’s soles. With a number of amusing anecdotes she told the club that so many people are embarrassed by their feet and their attempts to overcome foot problems. On many occasions, expensive self-help remedies fail due to misdiagnosis and ignorance. Dr. Rajput and her team offer educated solutions to sports injuries, fashion fads and medical problems where feet are concerned. A subject that many might consider to be beneath them was conveyed to the club with enthusiasm and a great sense of humour.

Rotarian Ian Brown thanked Bharti for her talk. He recounted that as a retired orthopedic surgeon there was, in the past, a professional rivalry between the medical profession and the “foot soldiers”. The profession of Podiatry has now progressed hugely in recent years.

Ian asked the assembled Rotarians to thank Bharti with a rendition of the song “Walking back to happiness”. This and Bharti’s talk received a great ovation.