"Healthy feet can hear the very heart of Mother Earth." - Sitting Bull

It feels good, to have the earth between ones toes, and to no longer have my feet be restricted to confined sweaty spaces.. - I have been barefoot for roughly 8 years now.. I believe that barefootedness along with naturism, is an integral part of a rawfoods lifestyle...

Last year (2001), I was in England.. in Glastonbury.. I had been visiting the library there on several occasions, and one day while I was there, one of the librarians asked me to not come in barefoot anymore. She said it was dangerous, there could be glass, that feet

"Toujours Pieds nus - toujours tout nu - toujour tout cru" - Durian

were dirty, and that small children sometimes crawled on the carpet.

I felt this was an odd request, considering I had seen other barefooters in there previously (Glastonbury probably has the highest percentage of barefooters in England), but decided not to object there and then.

Instead, I left the library, and wrote her a letter:

Dear Library Lady,

Hallo.

I don't want you to feel bad about asking I wear shoes.

I accept that your request, although, I believe personally, based on false knowledge, was really, wellmeaning.

Truthfully, I have not worn footwear for roughly 7 and a half years now. I have travelled across much of the European continent - by bike and on foot, as well as various other parts of the world. rarely have I, in the course of that time, experienced anything more than the very infrequent splinter.

"Your feet walk upon the Earth and through this your spirit is connected to the universe. Our feet are our contact with the Earth and the energies that flow through it." - Cherokee "Moonmaiden" Jenny Wallace

I don't own my own footwear, and have borrowed the sandals I'm wearing, in order to walk across 8 metres of carpet that we both know is well cleaned and without shards of glass - Besides I can assure you that being barefoot, one has far greater awareness of where one places ones feet.

With the cleanliness issue: In comparison to the soles of most peoples footwear, my feet are far cleaner - feelings of dirty, sweaty feet are based on feet that are cooped up inside socks & footwear all day, which, in such clammy awkward restricting environments, will

"And forget not that the Earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." - Kahlil Gibran

naturally be a thriving breeding ground for bacteria, and manufacturing of undesirably unpleasant odours.

Walking barefoot is part of my pilgrimage which has temporarily brought me to Glastonbury. It is about grounding oneself, and regaining contact with mother earth. It is about permanent reflexology. - The health of feet will gradually deteriorate over a lifetime of footwear (ab)usage. Tinea between the toes, and other bacterial fungal infections will almost inevitably develop, and most people will have deformed feet and other foot problems in their later years caused by shoes.

I am not drunk, loud or otherwise obnoxious. If I choose to let my hair grow unhindered, and my beard go wild, this is Essenic in nature, and I trust my appearance has not caused prejudgment of my character as is sometimes the case.

For these reasons, and also because I have recently spoken with several other people who regularly visit the library sans foot-atire, none of whom ever having been asked to don shoes, I would kindly ask that you reconsider allowing me to do so.

Kind regards, in love and light,
Mango

The next day, I borrowed a pair of sandals, I went to the library, put them on in the entry hallway, and went over and sat in my favorite corner.. I read some, then as I left, I handed her the letter..

I didn't see her for a week or 2.. but, I went in there one day, and she came across to me and said she'd like a word..

She told me that she'd shown the manager my note, and they'd both agreed that I could come in bare foot. I was so pleased. Even sitting down with sandals on, for that short time, my feet were feeling increasingly uncomfortable.