Footloose

The other day I was cleaning up after a yard sale. The summer heat wave finally kicked in and I was drenched in a glossy film of sweat. Needless to say, a shower was much overdue. The shower mecca experience was too short to fully embrace, so I decided to continue in the moment through any way possible. My friends were over and waiting for me, so I ran out the door with no shoes.

I just read of someone who walks around all year long with no shoes. I laughed as the picture was painted of this woman going through life with no shoes. From the local coffee shop to the post office, this woman (rain, show, or sleet) lives without shoes. Something inside me envied her freedom, though I never thought I would actually have the opportunity to participate. But here it was. I was at the mercy of my friends who I thought were merely taking me to their house, but I quickly found out that wasn't the case.

As soon as we jumped in the car, I realized that me traveling with shoes was going to be a problem. Ryan was hungry and asked Jim to stop, though Ryan hadn't yet made up his mind as to where. The consensus was that all of us were hungry. Ryan made the call that pizza was in order, and because he was paying, Jim and I weren't about to argue. However, I remembered that I was traveling without shoes and the realization that I wasn't going to be allowed in swept over me. The other two didn't consider it to be an issue, but at my protest, and because it was an absolute perfect day (minus the 95+ weather) we eat outside.

The humor of the situation, however, wasn't apparent until after dinner. We finished eating right as Jim's wife called needing to get picked up. We dropped her off earlier before grabbing a bite to eat. We picked her up and at her command proceeded to drive to Walmart. I wasn't about to stay locked in a car during the hottest day of the year when a perfectly good air conditioned store was a few feet away. So without the needless comfort of shoes, I walked into Walmart.

I was ready for the greater to ask me to leave. And I would have. But to my surprise no one said a word. I was reminded of Red (Morgan Freeman) from Shawshank Redemption when he said, "I mean, seriously, how often do you really look at a mans shoes?" Not one person talked with me. It was the funniest thing. I walked around Walmart barefoot. The cold tile against my skin felt strange to be sure but it was also comforting. It was one of the most freeing thing I have done in my life. It created an almost sensuous feel. It felt like home, and I loved it. Though I doubt I will relive the experience any time soon.