I used to have a recurring "nightmare" of sorts when I was in school. Instead of not doing my homework, or forgetting about a test, I'd dream I was at school without shoes on. Nobody else seemed to notice, but for some reason it bothered me. It was probably some sort of other insecurity that was eating at me, because I always had shoes (at least semi-decent ones) growing up, and besides a few teen-age indulgences, never gave much waking thought to them.
Going barefoot is something we all do at some point. There are perfectly acceptable times to do so:
• Showering/bathing
• Swimming
• On the beach
• Trying on shoes that don't require socks
• Making love
• Relaxing in your own home
• Sleeping
• During a pedicure
And many more ...
via Web, flutesfeet.freeserve.com
There is a Web site dedicated to taking the barefoot lifestyle to the next level – doing it in places most of us don't consider normal. Really, it is a natural state of being, and I applaud the proponents' hoof-spah in toe-ing the line between what "society" considers proper places to show ones toes and doing what feels natural to them. A quote on the main page says:
"Going barefoot is the gentlest way of walking and can symbolise a way of living — being authentic, vulnerable, sensitive to our surroundings. It's the feeling of enjoying warm sand beneath our toes, or carefully making our way over sharp rocks in the darkness. It's a way of living that has the lightest impact, removing the barrier between us and nature." — Adele Coombs, "Barefoot Dreaming"
I have no beef with barefooters, but my perspective is that where I live it's harder to get in touch with nature when there aren't that many natural surfaces left. Where the ground is natural, such as my front yard, the little oak tree has decided to spit sharp little acorns all over the place. It's a harrowing effort just to dash out to get the morning paper without injury. During the summer, The Season of Bare Feet, the asphalt and concrete of urban and suburban life is hot enough to burn one's paws.
Also, many businesses such as grocery stores recognize the liability they carry if a barefoot patron is injured by shards of glass or mounds of spilled beans (hence "no shoes – no shirt – no service" signs). Bare feet have no place in such dangerous environs (lawyers say).
Another side note is the negative reactions some people have to unshod feet. My former supervisor even hated the word "toes" in advertisements for open-toed shoes. Even worse was using the word "feet." I can still imagine her cringing. On the flipside is the overly positive reactions some people have to bare feet – something I really don't understand.
But the barefoot lifestyle has nothing to do with fetishes. If there's any lesson to be learned, or taken to foot, it's to kick off our shoes when we feel like it – whenever and wherever it makes us more comfortable. At least in the sand, you're bound to make a good impression.
i do have a beef with barefooters. it bothers me. when britney spears went barefoot in a public bathroom...gross! when we got a family picture from our friends with 3 kids...and they were all wearing matching shirts and bare feet...gross! and dorky!
Funny you should have this post. I was at the gym today and there was a young man walking around without shoes on. I thought in my head...who does that at the gym? It wasn't a yoga class btw, they were on the stepper. His feet were kind of eew to.
A young man leads the music worship at the church my wife has been attending…in his bare feet. His rational is that it is God’s house, he feels it is holy ground and that it just makes him feel closer. I can appreciate his way of thinking but hmmm, I’m not too sure.
(I am the heathen and have not been attending)
As a kid I was always barefoot. Not because I didn't have shoes, me and my sisters had the best ones around. I just liked it. At one stage I lived in a small Dutch farming village and often ran to school in my bare feet. The school was surrounded by loose stones, and I was always late, so in trying to get to class the entire student body (40 kids and 4 teachers) would stand at the window and watch me tiptoe as fast as I could through the stones trying not to hurt myself. They were even more amused on the days when I had my neon colored rollerskates slung over my shoulder.
Like you said, though, in Texas it's just not practical. There are snakes here. The grass is like Brillo pads. You can't really walk anywhere, and yeah, your feet get burned to blisters on the pavement.
You always write about the greatest things, you know that?
My Mom always made me wear my shoes. She told us when we were young that it would make our feet 'spread'???
Now I kick my shoes off everytime I walk in the door! ;)
Cute post...