oy, that sounds like a dumb quiz title or something.... anyway, I have been reading through all the old posts here, and noticing one piticular thing: barefooters seem happier. I don't know what it is, but this one piticular forum has the happiest people. Well, to me anyway. Compared to some of the other forums on this site, this piticular place is seriously filled with much kinder, more seemingly gentle and happier people. I don't know, I could be way off here, but this is just what I've noticed Anyone else come across that thought? Why do you think it is?
I don't know there jester, there's something that makes everything calm. It seems to make me more aware of my surroundings and more at peace with everything. If I'm in a not-so-great mood, and I go for a walk in barefeet, I feel like I'm a whole new person. It goes FAR beyond just plain old not wearing footwear...it seems to put you at one with everything in nature. It's like, when we're wearing shoes, we're able to trod on any ground we want without thinking twice, but when we're barefoot, we have to think a little more about where we walk...it seems to make you respect nature a lot more. Plus, my feet ain't gettin all sweaty and gross in some stinky shoes! barefoot kid~I really like that quote, it makes so much sence
Well, going barefoot is a natural way to get a reflexology massage, which can be very therapeutic for many people, and helps to maintain the balance with all the craziness and stress in our lives. That's how I look at it anyway...and a lot of it is psycological too. Bare feet are FREE, and what better felling is there than that?
never thought of it that way in regards to the massage! now when I look back on it, when I was working as a cashier at a grocery store, I would sneak wearing these shoes I could slip off and would walk around my till barefoot....granted, i got some goofy looks from my customers, but meh, I was happy. And the best way to make my feet feel better after standing on the all day? walking home or to my car barefoot! guess we hold the secret to being more relaxed, lol
I believe there is truth to that, I hate shoes and socks PERIOD! I always feel a little uptight when I have to cover my feet. I despise socks so much that I only have one pair at the moment. Last week it was two pairs but gave my other pair to a homeless person who held up a sign stated he needed a pair of dry socks. Pair number two were washed, folded and in the glove compartment of my truck. I'll never miss them! I wear a pair of Birkenstock clogs when working, so at least the backs of my feet are bare and can slip out of them in an instant. So to answer the question, its definately a yes, I feel more at ease when my feet communicate with the earth, can run my feet over tile and carpet or just roam free. In fact the world might be a better place if everyone would just shed their shoes and socks for a day.
I can't speak for barefooters in general, but going without shoes always relaxes me. Part of the effect is physical--when my feet breathe, my whole body feels it. Another part may be psychological--when there's one layer less to separate me from the rest of the world, I feel more inclined to trust people. The only thing better than going barefoot is going naked. As I like to explain it, being naked feels like being barefoot all over.
This also begs the age old paradoxical question of "which came first" though too. Like, are we happier because we are barefoot? Or are we barefoot because we are happier? I honestly think that a person who is willfully going barefoot does so because they are at ease with themsleves and with their environment. Of all the message boards and forums I've visited, and with all the people I've met over the years who enjoy being barefoot...there has definitely been a common thread that the people who are truly into our little joyful habit have found some inner light inside that radiates out and manifests itself through their confident 'barefoot' stance in life, not just literally but figuratively as well. Going barefoot is an outward symbol for us - a way of expressing our unqueness, our creativity, our spirit...it probably means something different for everyone, and yet it all taps into that knowledge and acceptance of one's self as a complete human being. heh...now I've gone all philosophical on everyone. :&
might have been "all philosophical," but it was still great! It made a lot of sence, I can certainly relate to everything that you wrote! Never thought about the paradox, though.....this is gunna bug me now...gee thanks booga~i used to think that it would be uncomfortable to be nude, and that I'll always feel better completely covered....but lately, I don't know why, but I feel like it could really feel better. I think it first occured to me the other day when I was yet again trying to dig sand out of my bikini bottoms at the beach....I thought, "man, wouldn't it be nice if everyone here just didn't have to worry about where they get sand stuck?" (granted, there's still a few places I'd prefer to keep the sand out of, but you get my point )
That was a really sweet thing to do cudos! Those clogs sound just like the shoes I had. It was so nice to be able to free myself whenever I felt, lol. I had a couple weird looks and questions from my supervisors, though, when they came to my till and saw I was frantically looking for my shoe, so that I wouldn't get into crap.:&
One of the reasons I enjoy being a nudist and a barefooter is the freedom. There is a comfort you feeel as expressed throughout this thread.
LOL - Yeah there's definitely something to be said for not going home after the beach, taking off your swimsuit only to find you brought a quart of sand home with you! We have an "unofficial" nude beach here, which I've been to many times, and it really makes me jealous of places that have better access to such areas. For all of Washington State's progressive and liberal "West-Coast" attitude, the attitude about nudity on public land leans to the prudish side. We have to "sneak" our nude time in - mayeb you'll have to try that where you are.
well, I don't think it would work in sicamous, anyway...I was saying in my other post how much of a tourist town this is and yeah, the beaches are pretty packed. That, and there's a railway track about 30 feet away going over top the beach (the one unattractive thing about the beach here), as well as a bridge for regular cars and stuff....it's a little open....I don't think there'd be any sneaking, LOL There IS a nudist resort here, however, complete with "treehouses" for "hotels"...my oma was actually reading the brochure off to me yesterday. But you also have to be rich to go there, which really sucks! It sounds awsome, and by the looks of the brochure, it looks awsome, too. It's kinda tucked away along the side of a mountain. You really have to look for them places. They're hard to find.
I think that anywhere you go in America or Canada, you're going to find that. It's ashame that we're "taught" to be ashamed of our bodies and to hide them. the only reason I wear clothes is because I don't want to have icecicles hanging from my crotch. I could go on about the whole "american society" thing for hours... I think that it all begins with people telling their kids that it's wrong to be nude when they're little and it progresses from there. If more families expressed nudity as being a common thing, I'd bet we'd have a more open society.
"my oma"- is that a cute pet name for your hubby? You two should definitely try to make it to a nude beach sometime. It's truly liberating. And yeah nudity is better than prudity (LOL - I love saying that even though it's not a real word). We are so hypocritical in this country too...the porn industry makes billions in this country, and our leaders are probably some of the kinkiest f#@$s on the planet, and yet they constantly try and pass legislation to protect our children from anything sexual. It's bizarre to say the least.
I personally don't think happiness has anything to do with someones feet... It has to do with a person's mindset.
My husband said once that he seriously thought part of the "Winter bummer" for me was having to wear shoes, hehe. If you can bare your feet, you can bare your soul.
I still put on shoes sometimes, but I think that when barefoot I am spending more mental energy watching my step and enjoying how the ground feels then if I was taking the same walk with shoes were I might be focusing on something negative instead over and over like a letter I just got in the mail saying I have to pay for some total unfair BS.