To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. ~e.e. cummings I love that quote - and so true.
I agree that going barefoot can just be something I do without making a big deal out of it, but I post here and in other forums for three main reasons. First and foremost is when *other* people make a big deal out it. When someone gets kicked out of a grocery store, and especially when this is done by someone claiming a Health Department law that doesn't even exist that's just ridiculous, the least I'll do is post a link proving that these laws are a myth, and often I'll try to get these kind of anti-barefoot rules changed. It's not just about going barefoot; any time someone is refused for silly, arbitrary reasons and especially if the reasoning is based on some rule I know for a fact doesn't exist, I feel the same way. I just don't talk about the times I defend a friends' dreadlocks, someone's choice to breastfeed in public, or anything like that in this forum, since it'd be off-topic. It's personal freedom in general that is a VERY big deal, and I'll fight for it any time I can. Secondly, it can be useful to share experiences especially with new barefooters. Barefooters in cold climates have found ways to go barefoot longer in cold conditions (dressing warm from the ankle up, 'barefoot gaiters' covering the top of the foot, bag balm on the soles, to name a few), barefooters in warm climates have come up with ways of dealing with hot pavement (walking on the white lines in a parking lot for example), some folks have had cracks in their heels and have discovered ways of treating them... Most of the time we 'just go barefoot' but sometimes you run into a minor problem and it's handy to share a few tips rather than re-inventing the wheel each time. That doesn't make going barefoot a 'big deal', any more than biking is a 'big deal' when I give or ask a friend advise on bike repair, or cooking is a 'big deal' when I share a recipe, or gardening is a 'big deal' when I look around in a forum for advise on a specific plant that's not doing well. And third, sometimes it's just nice to share an experience with other people who have the same kind of interest. In the years I've been online I've posted in cat forums, Star Trek forums, history/reenactment forums, book forums... it's just fun to hang out with folks who have the same interests and exchange some thoughts and comments. Some people don't care to, or do this only with friends off-line, well fine, it's not a requirement. But look at the many different topics, count the subforums here on Hipforums & then look further and see how many Yahoogroups there are. The desire to talk with like-minded folks is not a specific barefooters-thing!
Your point is well made. I suppose for folks who didn't just naturally go barefoot because thats the way their life started it might feel liberating or just plain fun. For a lot of country kids of my generation at least its just part of life that gets no special attention. Often as not I go barefoot cause I'm too lazy to put on shoes. On the other end, literally, there was a generation of men who simply didn't consider themselves dressed if they didn't wear a hat or cap...had hip forums been around 40 years ago there might have been a baredheaders forum....Hummm
I don't know why something very natural wouldn't be worth talking (posting) about. I talk about things that have been part of my life for as long as I can remember -books, pets, bicycles... Maybe you don't feel the urge to talk about things you've done all your life, but some of us do. I think part of what makes me happy is that I can enjoy things, notice things & talk about things that are 'just part of life', not because they're 'special' but simply because they're pleasant. Old hat perhaps, but still nice.
if we keep insisting on the point maybe bare feet will become fashionable at some point... that would be a breakthrough . oh, recession can come out as a help in the process. there is already someone making use of barefooting for a political statement, like Michael Franti , who knows.
As always, Myranya is extremely considerate, very extremely well-informed, and most very extremely friendly.
there are no sicknesses caused by walking barefoot,however,not walking barefoot is unhealthy.a few points: (1) walking bf increases the blood flow to organs,there are nerve endings for every organ of your body in the soles of your feet...(2)walking bf enhances your balance,and especially in the case of kids,raised bf...(3)bf peoples bio rhythms are in sync with their environment...(4)foot problems with diabetics are decreased as the feet are not constricted,resulting in better blood supply...(5) studies have shown that kids attending school barefoot,improve their marks between 30 - 50% due to increased concentration and a strönger imune system...(6) walking bf increases imunity {interesting fact-nudism boosts natural imunity as well}...(7) barefooting does not cause colds and flu.I'ts caused by DROPLETT INFECTION THATS INHALED!...(8) walking bf causes natural resistance against germs,eg.tetanus,strep and staphlecoci. However,barefooting can assis/potentiall presepetate parrecitic worm infections,tape worm,ring worm etc.,yet in 40 plus years of barefooting,i never had any!When u r bf,amd have a cold,it does cause the mucose membranes to close,thus containing the virus within the body.The advantages of barefooting outweighs the disadvantages 1000 to 1
there are no sicknesses caused by walking barefoot,however,not walking barefoot is unhealthy.a few points: (1) walking bf increases the blood flow to organs,there are nerve endings for every organ of your body in the soles of your feet...(2)walking bf enhances your balance,and especially in the case of kids,raised bf...(3)bf peoples bio rhythms are in sync with their environment...(4)foot problems with diabetics are decreased as the feet are not constricted,resulting in better blood supply...(5) studies have shown that kids attending school barefoot,improve their marks between 30 - 50% due to increased concentration and a strönger imune system...(6) walking bf increases imunity {interesting fact-nudism boosts natural imunity as well}...(7) barefooting does not cause colds and flu.I'ts caused by DROPLETT INFECTION THATS INHALED!...(8) walking bf causes natural resistance against germs,eg.tetanus,strep and staphlecoci. However,barefooting can assis/potentiall presepetate parrecitic worm infections,tape worm,ring worm etc.,yet in 40 plus years of barefooting,i never had any!When u r bf,amd have a cold,it does cause the mucose membranes to close,thus containing the virus within the body.The advantages of barefooting outweighs the disadvantages 1000 to 1.THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE IS THIS..,its just downright nice an pleasurable to walk barefoot,and its fun and hip!
I'd say most contributors on this forum chose to go barefoot cos it's liberating and is preferable to that horrible claustrophobic feeling the feet get when wearing shoes. I've hated wearing closed shoes ever since I can remember and the Uggs only come out when the temperature gets so low I concede defeat as I've never really fancied frostbite.I even wore flip-flops to school whenever I could,don't think it was allowed but I always did push the boundaries and flout the rules be it footwear,multiple ear ring or pierced nose.Most of the time no-one said anything but I got pulled up once for wearing flip-flops so being the bolshie type I just kicked them off and went barefoot which landed me in hot water and I still chuckle at having to take a bollocking in teacher's office shoeless! This is the time of year when I start making the gradual transition to being shod but it's been very mild these last few days so the flip-flps and Uggs can wait and I've just come back from the school run barefoot.Sure I'll always get comments,that comes with the territory,but it's all good natured with the other mums and teachers,in fact one or two of them tried it themselves during the summer.Typical comment today was 'see you haven't thrown in the towel yet!' All things considered it's no big deal even if some people would like it to be.
I've always wondered by there seems to be such a need to talk about it all the time. I don't quite see it.
Quite easy... if we're happy while barefooting, we want to share our happiness... and if we encounter podophobes or bogus rules, we want to make that known and get support and advice from fellow barefooters. That's what such forums like this are for, aren't they? Wiggling bare toes, happily, ~*Ganesha*~
See my posts on the previous page, and especially the last paragraph. Why do you post in any of the forums you post in -do you only discuss things that are new to you, or about which you have questions to ask or advise to give? Do you ever post about any of your hobbies, reading or biking or cooking or whatever you do during a regular week, or do you ever post in a general chat forum? I personally don't have anything to say about 95% of the topics on the Hipforum boards, but I am not puzzled that other people do. Obviously that is *their* hobby and they like to talk to people sharing their interests, nothing strange about that at all. I wonder, is it just the barefoot forum that puzzles you, or do you also find it strange that there's activity in other forums about cooking, cats, running or biking, just to name a few? If so, why should posting about going barefoot be any different than posting about any other hobby, lifestyle or interest?
During the summer (as a child) I often walked around barefoot. In Chicago, the children would often use the fire hydrants to cool off. So we were all barefoot in the street. Now I wear shoes, but I miss those childhood days. :sunny: QP
