Dear CK: Since it seems likely that the kids are going to tie Gordian knots only in their shoestrings, a careful scissors version of Alexander's solution is suggested, since shoestrings are inexpensive.
I have a shoestring knot problem. Remember in The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck illustrates the mental limitations of the Okie girl, by telling that she could sit for hours wondering how the tail of "C" could get through the loop of the "L" on the Coca Cola logo. When I do my two mile b.i.d. hike around the block, I am really amazed at how many times an aglet of the lace goes through a loop, causing a hard knot if I am careless when I take my shoes off, causing great difficulty removing my shoe because my arthritis makes bending over difficult. Like the Okie girl, I can spend hours wondering how it can happen so often.
