Incident (or, God Bless the USA)

Besides hating being cold and not being a fan of frostbite, THIS is the main reason I do not barefoot in cold weather. It is one thing to have a few (very few) looks about being barefoot in warm weather, even if you are being obvious by wearing shorts. It is quite another, in cold weather, because you stand out in a major way. And because people have all read stories about the senile wandering off barefoot and being found a couple of states over or maybe about someone escaping from the local asylum or someone not taking their meds and being a danger to themselves or others, this tends to cause alarm. I prefer to avoid any of those interpretations. And, although, in the winter, i may kick off my shoes and be barefoot sitting and reading in a library, I can wait for the spring to be barefoot outside again. Just me. Just sayin.

 

When I go our barefoot in the summer I rarely get any response except from those who are somehow offended by exposed feet. Those reactions are very few and far between. I have hopped in the car barefoot when it was cold and run into a store realizing I'd only be on exposed pavement for a brief period. I have been approached by employees on those occasions out of concern I was destitute and in need of help. I quickly explained I ran out without shoes for convenience. Their sincere interests in my well being were quickly addressed and there was no further discussion. While I often find it odd that people focus on footwear or lack thereof, I appreciated the concern people showed. I wasn't rude nor was I apologetic, I simply explained my circumstances and that sufficed to dispel any concern.

Recently I was driving on a U.S. interstate highway north of Denver and came across a man with a dog climbing over the center median of the highway. I contacted police not because I thought he should be arrested but because there are a few reports every year about transients crossing the highways and being struck by cars. I wouldn't have cared if he was wearing shoes, not wearing shoes, clothed, bare-assed naked, or dancing across the highway in a tutu and ballerina slippers, I was just worried he might not be in the best mental state and become a traffic statistic. I would have been risking my own safety to have stopped in 80 MPH traffic (speed limit 75 on that stretch) to query him on his behavior. I contacted the police because they are equipped and trained to deal with unusual situations. I only hope the guy and his dog completed their crossing without incident.