Stacy Julian's 1/1/12 email for the Big Picture Classes Twelve class read "Every journey begins with a single step. Put on your shoes, its time to go." The instruction to put on my shoes brought out my inner rebel for some reason and I thought about how I don't really like putting on shoes; then I remembered that I didn't like shoes as a kid, that I do yoga barefoot, that I kayak and explore barefoot, and that I like to take photos of my bare feet. I found four photos and cut them into 4x4 squares and arranged them into a square. Then I wrote ten random things, "Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life" style about being barefoot. I even found a quote I liked about being barefoot and I tweaked it a little for the page.
Journaling: It is important that students bring a certain ragamuffin, BAREFOOT irreverence to their {LIFE} studies; they are not here to worship what is known, but to question it. {translation: Be CURIOUS}- J Bronowski / studying science
1.When I was a girl, I loved to be barefoot & wearing a bathing suit, even in the winter, even in Maine. And I disliked socks. And didn’t mind dirty feet. 2. I am often now barefoot on the weekends and at home when I am outside but inside, since we have tile, I wear sneakers. 3. My main exercise now is Yoga which I do barefoot. 4. Mac’s main exercise is karate - also done in bare feet. 5. I have a condition called hammertoe which is very painful; and when I was in college I had to wear orthotic inserts in my shoes and the doctors told me I needed foot surgery but one day I just decided to be "over" that problem and it was totally mind over matter and I’ve never had the surgery and I rarely (knock on wood) have pain in my toes since I made that bold decision. 6. Photo #1: Taken in April 2011 during my Week in the Life Album; I believe had just gotten back from work and picking up Mac from Karate & possibly doing Bikram Yoga. I took the photo of my own feet while sitting on the dock watching the reflection of the sunset (facing east.) 7. Photo #2 was taken last week - January 2012 - on the little island in photo #1 and I was there by ocean kayak to take photo s of the HOPE carved into the tree which is my one little word this year and I just saw two Canadian Geese which are very rare to see her and those are their foot prints and I found that shell there and brought it home. My ride home was in the dark, but worth it. 8. Photo #3 was taken in July 2011 at Cocoa Beach and we are looking at what is probably some kind of sea cucumber or sea slug; the other foot is either Mac or Allison’s left foot. 9. Photo #4 was taken sometime in the past 6 months - the feet on the left are Charlie’s and they are on a lower level so they look smaller but are in fact larger than mine. We were closely monitoring Dandy because he recently ruptured his ear by rubbing his head against the pool coping and it cost $800 to get his ear fixed and we are hoping this sweet old dog does not do that again. 10. When I do wear shoes, they must be comfortable and stable and somewhat cute. I have a favorite pair of Mary Jane patent leather pumps from Target that I wear so much that I bought two more pairs. I also love my New Balance sneakers. I also wear flip flops and even crocs which are giant colorful plastic clogs. I also love wearing ski boots even though they are uncomfortable. Katie on Going Barefoot. 1/4/12
