Let me explain, as I'm sure some of you are confused - Thursday 8th of April was One Day Without Shoes an event to raise awareness for the thousands of people who go without shoes every single day. From what I can gather, it's a new event for this year but you can scour the website more thoroughly to prove me wrong if you wish. I heard about it on Livejournal, found a Facebook group and decided to do it. At Spring Harvest, surrounded by hundreds of Christians from all over the country I think I was the only one to do this. It didn't really surprise me - the organisation itself appears to be American so I don't think it's quite reached Skegness, Lincolnshire. I can also imagine a whole host of "Health and Safety" risks Butlins would be in for if we'd all gone barefoot en masse. What did surprise me a little was that only two people asked me what I was doing - one of them was a friend, and the other was just wondering if my feet weren't cold. It's not like people couldn't see I was barefoot - I was hobbling on tarmac quite a bit and with all the group work in seminars where you stare at the ground to avoid people's faces I can't see how someone didn't notice. Perhaps they thought it rude to ask in case it was linked to a psychological disorder (last week was a special week with events geared to people with learning disorders and "disabilities" [for want of the P.C term]). Or perhaps they were just being British. Alternatively, and we're talking long-shot here, they genuinely might not have noticed.
I wish people had asked, though, if they did see, so I would have been able to share the experience. It didn't matter to me if they joined in the madness or not; I'm never one to be uncomfortable being the only one doing something, but I was so excited about it! Firstly, it was so educational and liberating to really feel the ground beneath your feet and not just trample along not thinking about the terrain. But mostly it was deeply humbling to think, especially towards the end of what turned out to be the fullest day of the week, of the people who have no choice but to do this every day. People who just have to face whatever terrain they encounter with the soles of their feet. I know your feet toughen as you walk barefoot more often - it isn't an unnatural thing to do - but there's toughened and then there's ruined. As ODWS's website tells us:
In Ethiopia, approximately one million people are suffering from Podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil.
Covering your feet for long journeys and especially tough terrain is such a wonderful privilege for us, but it should be a basic human "right" - something which is available to everyone. TOMS are working towards this goal - for every pair of shoes you buy from them they donate a new pair of shoes to a child in need. Not only is this a fantastic ethic to have, but their shoes also look pretty cool - I'll be saving for a pair of 'Wrap Boots'.
I encourage everyone to try going a day without shoes any day; it's a great experience and a moving one too. But, just so you all know, I'll be getting sponsorship for it next year.
On an unrelated note: Countdown has gotten much harder recently and I have a bunged up nose that went away for SH then came back just before we left - it's a pretty clear sign but, like Neville with his Remembrall, I don't know what of...
P.S Pictures of my feet to follow.
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