Barefoot....Check

Well, I know you were sitting on the edge of your seats wanting to know if I went 24 hours without my shoes on....The answer...NO...I went 36 hours barefoot. I learned something. One - it wasn't whether or not I would wear my shoes. I purposefully didn't take "back out" shoes with me, as I new I would most likely back out of my experiment. I knew if I took shoes, I would put them on, and go on with my day. So each time my family and I packed up and got in the car, I would pack myself up....barefoot. What I did learn, is that if I can't wear my shoes....I won't go anywhere. You see yesterday, we had to go get flowers (at a flower shop), go to Walmart and get a blinker for my car, go to Lowes and get mulch, and then go home. We later had to go to Reasors to get steak.....I did all this barefoot....or shall I say my HUSBAND did all of this.....You see what I learned yesterday, is something different from the others.

While there are a TON of problems with children who go shoeless.....I couldn't help but wonder...what are the simple things that they forgo because they don't have shoes. Are they too embarrassed to go into a store, because they have no shoes? Do they worry what those "with shoes" will say or think about them? Could they be denied service for not having shoes? Dumb thoughts probably, but I know children in America might not have shoes, and these are definitely things they face. And this is coming from a girl who really doesn't have a need for shoes...clothes yes, shoes...not so much. But I was so bothered by NOT having my shoes, that I didn't go INTO the places I needed to go, I relied on others to do it for me. So did I ACTUALLY complete the experiment? I am not sure, but did I at least get a glimpse of what some children might be feeling....for a few hours....maybe. But I couldn't fathom this being my every day.....or my children's.

First thing I am going to do....clean the shoes out of the closet...and take them to the shelter....

All By Myself.....Barefoot

Me.....with my shoes.

***NOTE for this post to make sense, you need to know TOMS did a "Barefoot" challange (April 8th) to show us how children go without shoes, they asked we just go one day....***

I love shoes. I don't love them so much that I have an extraordinary amount of them. I am more of a clothes girl....But I wear my shoes, and I am not often seen without them outside of my home....or should I say, my property. Yesterday, while sitting at a conference I was on facebook (I know, tsk tsk) and I read my girlfriend was going to spend the ENTIRE day barefoot. Hmmmm.....I always like a good challange. But for the love of Pete people. I am at a judicial conference, on behalf of a municipality I represent. I am a judge......(insert long pause here).....I CANNOT do this today. What will they think? Will it get back to Skiatook that I went to the conference barefoot? NOTE: I was not thinking about the purpose, I was still focused on me....myself....and I. I was quickly distracted by a phone call, other family issues, but "barefoot" kept sneaking back in.

This morning I woke up at my hotel (still at the conference)....showered, put on the suit....AND put on my shoes. I can't do it....WHY can't I do it....Because I am still thinking about me. I read THIS BLOG and again....felt the need to be barefoot. I read her blog...and then thought to myself...That is it. I will do this next year. I am all in. Then as I sat here.....I couldn't help but think what is so special about April 8th? Why can't I do it tommorow? Why do I have to do it with a group? There is a little security in numbers? Shall I punish myself by doing a whole day without shoes by myself? What will my husband say? Maybe I should run this by him? What is wrong with me? Should I do it tomorrow? What do I have to do tomorrow, would hate to go without shoes to somewhere important....on and on and on. What in the world must children be doing who don't have shoes? What is the point of all this. I don't want to steal, but please read the blog above....no shoes is a serious problem.....that causes serious health problems for children. It is NOT just the idea of people looking at you because you haven't worn shoes.

So....I can't believe I am going to say this. But tomorrow is my challange...to myself. I have no idea what I am doing tomorrow...but one thing I won't be doing.....wearing my shoes.