barefoot

My mom told me just last week that she used to go barefoot all the time when she was younger. I smirked and called her a hippie. She denied.
(Picture Left: Mom participating in "rush" with her sorority in college. And look! She is barefoot! She would be mortified knowing I posted this, but I think it shows you a glimpse of her life-loving personality.)


Sometimes I go into public places barefoot. Some say that is gross and unsanitary. I find it freeing.

Jedi hated wearing shoes. His pudgy, one-year old feet stomped and stomped to try to fling them off. But who cares - wearing shoes in his culture is a privilege.

I never considered how many pairs of shoes I had until I went to India. Not knowing what to expect in the time I would live there, I packed "prepared" - just as my dad had always taught me. A couple pairs of chacos; a couple pairs of "nicer" sandals just in case; a pair of casual slip-ons; and two pair of sneakers (just in case I would find myself in rough terrain). Looking back, I can't believe I packed that many! Now, each time I look inside my closet, just below where my clothes hang, in the direction of the floor, I feel a small tug inside my chest.

Shoes are fun to have. It is fun to mix and match colorful shoes. It is fun to wear different-looking shoes and slip-ons. I must admit, however, that I don't get alot of genuine "wear" out of most of my shoes. In India, my family only had one or two pairs of shoes for all kinds of occasions and any kind of weather.

It is fun to go barefoot. It is against the norm in the society which I live. As freeing and enjoyable as going barefoot sometimes is to me, I wonder how often our privileged society stops to ponder on the depth of the issue of going barefoot. If you own more than one pair of shoes, and they are in good condition, you are blessed.