Walking barefoot, a life changing revelation [NOT CLICKBAIT or is it?]

My entire life I was a city girl, not saying that to sound superior, not at all, I actually come from a third world country, from a place that if you compare how the areas look like to the developed world you would say she came from the slums!

But even in the slums, I never saw anyone walking around barefoot! There was no reason that would require you to walk barefoot literally ever! Except if you are within your own home or at the beach/swimming pool.

So, for me the concept of walking barefoot honestly was linked to being poor (as thats what the media show poor people doing), along with having stinky, super rough and thick feet.

Mind you I hate feet! And I always look at toes and wonder out of all the shapes that god could’ve created, why choose this? so I’m definitely not a fan!

The first time I saw people barefoot publicly was at the age of 21 at the university in Malaysia, my classmates were from another country and had the audacity to do that! Imagine!. At that time in my mind I thought of them as uncivilized and shivered just to the thought of those toes wiggling freely during class.

Fast forward to 2018 onwards, the return of the spiritual hippies era, where the concept of “grounding” became mainstream so all the yogis, healers, wanna be’s and everyone in between are embracing this movement. It became so mainstream that ofcourse the privileged people in the first world countries were the first to embrace it, because that was very “avent garde” and you’d be soo, real , multi-dimensional and sophisticated if you walked barefoot!

Me being me, whenever something goes mainstream I start being opposing to it by default!

However, I started seeing it alot while traveling, especially western people in East Asia, (even more reason for me to be reluctant to embrace it), thinking its just a trend, it will pass and we’ll go back to when only poor people were doing it because technically they had no other option, and it wasn’t considered something “Trendy” at all.

And then slowly I was reading about it and thinking hmmm.. maybe there’s some basis to standing barefoot on the ground and charging your body with the earth’s prana, so I started doing that every once in a while if I’m doing a meditation class somewhere outdoors or if I’m in a garden/park , but never in the life of me that I’d consider doing that on concrete/asphalt, and definitely not in an office!

Up until I joined my latest company, the office was so fancy, literally it was located in the fanciest area in Dubai, and of course such a fancy office needs to have the whitest fanciest carpet on the planet earth! The one that If you spill something on it, might as well you hand in your resignation letter.

2 days in, I was working, focused deeply on my laptop, only to be jump scared by the CEO himself, he talked to me, I didn’t notice him approaching me, but it didn’t even cross my mind to look at his feet, I thought he’s just lite on his feet and carried on with my day.

Few days later, he walks past me and I saw him in his socks! WHAT 😱! I told myself that man is so extra (as he’s definitely not poor) Its just a carpet, SO WHAT! if we step on it with shoes? but it got to my head to the extent that I once walked into his office stepping a foot in only to panic, retract my steps and start apologizing for stepping in with my shoes and taking it off immediately! He started laughing out loud and told me it’s okay I can come in, as I am.

But guess what I also noticed? Another person in the office that was not only walking in socks but actually absolutely barefoot! TRAUMATIZING!

And with that Prada bag sitting on her desk, she is definitely not poor 🤔! So there’s no justification whatsoever, what is wrong with these people?

Ironically, which family is this girl part of? You guessed it….our one and only CEO’s family.

Now being yours truly if I have an opinion that I don’t voice out to the world, it eats me alive.

I wasn’t there long enough in the company to go speak to the CEO about how I disapprove his unconventional lifestyle choices, but I had few good bants with the Prada girl that I felt comfortable enough to go express to her what I think of this entire walking barefoot thing.

I walked to her desk with such confidence thinking that once I’d make my fact-backed statement she will be running to wear her shoes, and might gift me that Prada bag as a token of appreciation, I said:

“You know that this is an artificial floor right? so there’s no grounding benefits whatsoever other than having dirty feet”

She looked at me indifferently, shrugged and said:

“Ye I know, but it’s so freeing! You should try it!”

WHAT!!! I was in disbelief! The audacity! not only no Prada bags or thank yous were offered, but also she was unapologetic about it!

I tsk’ed, rolled my eyes, said “I’d never do that” and started stomping back to my desk in my white Nike airforce 1 that I paid 625 dirhams for, and promised myself that I’d wear them 625 times to justify that ridiculous money I spent on a plain white shoes, no way I’m taking them off! I’m sleeping in those shoes 😤.

One week later, the CEO gets the entire office some really nice and soft slippers, not forcing anyone to wear them, but just giving us the option, first day I was reluctant, second day I was reluctant, third day I was like okay I might as well try for a little bit before anybody comes to the office and sees me doing such a shameful act 😂

I slipped them on and OH MY GOD! Why does this feels so right! It’s like it unlocked new pathways in my brain! How on earth is that even possible! Not having my feet locked up in shoes during working hours, actually made me much more comfortable, more focused on work and shockingly more productive!

That I actually started the moment I step into the office, go immediately to my desk, take my shoes off and let myself be freeeeeee! And if I have to wear my shoes again for whatever reason, it agitates me.

*only disadvantage was that with this new change in lifestyle I had to go buy new socks as before that I mostly wore mismatching socks of different colors and patterns, because who has time to find two matching pairs in Laundry! (Not possible even if I try)

*Here’s an actual picture of a video that I posted on Instagram, not only embracing this unconventional lifestyle choice but also bragging about it!

*ofcourse I was wearing my white Nike that day! Told you I ain’t taking them off till that 625 is justified!

*Lol on the fact that the socks are mismatching! Hard job! Ain’t doing it🙅🏽‍♀️

This may be a silly story, but this goes to show that sometimes we spend our lives fixated on our opinions, beliefs, the way that the media/society/family programmed us to think in a specific way, only to allow ourselves if we are courageous enough to dare only once to try something different, maybe we will realize that we were wrong all along!

Turns out I was the one who was poor by being close minded and stubborn for absolutely no reason other than, this is what I’m used to, then it must mean it’s definitely the right thing — it’s not.

But the question is are you secure/confident enough in yourself to accept being wrong? To embrace new ways of living/thinking? Or to admit to the fact that others may know better than you? Or would you rather continue sticking to your old habits, being too stubborn to let go, knowing deep inside of you that you may be missing out on something life changing? Just to say “I’m right and you’re wrong, and I’m not giving in!”, is it really worth it?

Today, I was on the beach barefoot, and I actually walked back to my car which was next block, on the asphalt, barefoot.

Do I have a Prada bag now? No

But, Do I have black soles? Yes

Does that make me feel happier and more free? Yes

And I’d rather focus on my happiness and let the pedicure ladies at the nail salon shout at me for the condition of my feet, but maybe they should try walking barefoot themselves to understand me better 🤷🏽‍♀️

I’m embracing change, are you? 🦶

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*P.S: still hate feet, nothing will change about that, I mean…I don’t think 👀

(Happy to be proven wrong, but please do not and I repeate DO NOT! Send me pictures of your feet to convince me that they are such pieces of art! i’ll block and report you😂)