Well it’s a contrast of a morning this campervan morning. Dull cloud overhead, a chilly breeze and a dull light. Blackbird in the oak singing once more and a host of starlings in the ash. The birds are busy, the songs uninterrupted by modernity. As I say a real contrast to yesterdays start to the day. I sit in a chill morning breeze under the oak watching the morning unfold. I came across a title to a chapter in Katherine May’s current book ‘Enchanted ‘ whilst out and about yesterday, in my usual skulking places, bookshops. It fired my imagination and brought some thoughts together. Her previous book ‘Wintering’ is one of my go to books for that season and one I delve into again and again when it is upon us, along with several others. The chapter in her current book was entitled something along the lines of ‘Walking in bare feet’. In the sense of a metaphorical way of being in the world. I have sensitive feet, I can not walk in bare feet the sensations and usually pain is overwhelming. I wonder what that says about me ? I could probably write a whole chapter about it. I’m not too bad on grass, or sandy beaches where the going is easy, in fact I love the sensations of grass, the delicious sensations of sand and water on my feet :
“ When the tidal waves wildly behaving My bare feet on the shore busy saving The calm warmth leaking out of the sand To let my heart feel peacefully tanned!” Munia Khan.
Anything else usually brings me to a staggering halt. Perhaps it’s the vulnerability not just physically, but also emotionally. The process and reflection that grabbed me was the mantra of ‘Walking in bare feet’ whilst being in the world. The physical sensations mirroring our journey, the sense of ease and gentleness mixed with overwhelming sensations of some encounters and experiences in life. Walking barefoot in our encounters with people, in our encounters with our own experiences, journeys and those of other peoples. My own sensations whilst being in bare feet and how they echo my own encounters, experiences and vulnerabilities. How being shod in leather and rubber and bashing through the undergrowth leaves me missing something. How maybe I have spent too much of my time shod in leather and rubber in my encounters in the world and need to really embrace walking barefoot, both physically and emotionally. How some encounters may have been so different if I had walked barefoot, rather than shod in leather and rubber. The amazing artist Sabrina Ward Harrison writes :
“Barefoot travel allows you to get the true feel of a place “
I would like to expand on that and say barefoot encounters allow you to get the true feel of a person, an experience, journey or encounter. It’s self care Sunday people, walk barefoot and have lovely days.
“ We touch the earth with our feet, and we heal the earth, we heal ourselves...” Thich Nhat Hanh.
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