From: David MacClement Date: Wed May 21, 2003 11:44 am Subject: Re: [LessIsMore] toes (was: Some surprises about Islam) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LessIsMore/message/9554 [Lis, responding to Diane, on LessIsMore list: ] -----------------LOL. I don't think you are alone. A good friend of mine could be easily tormented by threatening to touch her with your toes. She thought toes were the ugliest thing. My husband can pick things up with his toes, and it is an oddly disconcert- ing thing to witness. ... · I do the same. And with legs out straight, crossed, and feet top-to-top, I can interleave the toe-knuckles of the two feet. (All 2x5 knuckles when in my 20s, a couple less now.) [Lis: ] ... bright red polish never bothered me, but I was truly brought up short by a french manicure on a woman's toes. ... Things I miss about my childhood--running barefoot *always*. In the spring, you'd get your soles tough enough to take the gravel at a walk, and by summer they'd be tough enough you could run. Made life so much easier--you could wade thru the creek, hike thru the pasture and your feet would always wash off--unlike shoes for which you'd get in trouble for getting dirty ... ....... Lis · Yes; I was asked (by my baker, Stephanie) a few days ago, why I still go barefoot. Even on most winter days. · I said I wasn't quite sure; there are several reasons, but none very important. Here's what comes to mind just now. 1. You're right, Lis; I can _just_go_, at anytime day or night, I don't have to stop to put on shoes. But I admit I take my jandals/thongs with me if I'm going more than 6km/4miles, or I know there's more than a little gravel. 2. It started in 1992 when I was intent on using the _absolute_minimum_ of money, so I could live on my small amount of savings (before my NZ Superannuation). I have gone barefoot in spring and summer most of my life, so knew I _could_ just about do without the expense of shoes-wearing-out. But it took several months of walking 3 hours on big-stone tar-sealed roads twice a week (that spring summer and autumn I lived in the barn), before I toughened-up my soles enough. 3. My objection to conspicuous consumption is part of it; near the top of my http://www.geocities.com/davd.geo/dsmenu.html is: "There are a number of reasons for this choice, one of which is that I have opted out of the current, hateful, economic system (where "money decides everything")." 4. Besides this objection to the present institutionalised capitalist system (capitalism isn't "wrong", but the way it's infected everyone's thinking is) the other thing I mentioned to Stephanie was that I went barefoot partly because I was rejecting the world and its superficial concerns, in the way monks did (and still do). Occasionally as I walk along, a guy shouts out a car window: "get a job!", or "get some shoes on!". So I do seem to be seen as rejecting "all that they hold dear", I suppose. 5. This is an expansion of 1. but specifically refers to catastrophe. {I try to avoid the word "disaster" since that implies (at least it originally did imply) that the stars influence one's life. This is as bad as believing in your pet rock.} I would like to believe that I would continue functioning even when most other people are incapacitated; perhaps you've been asleep and your tent or hotel burns down with _all_ your clothes, including shoes, gone in the blaze. Or your car is stuck or has an accident miles from anywhere. I want to continue to be _able_ to walk at least 12 miles (20 km) to get shelter, or help if there was someone else with me. Barefoot. David. (David MacClement) Civis Mundi davd @ ihug.co.nz http://www.geocities.com/davd.geo/ ZL1ASX