And so begins a new chapter of my blogging life. This is not my first blog (check out Starshine's Mind for some oldies but goodies). Today I decided to put into action what I actually decided a while back - to start a new forum where I can diligently and openly discuss things that touch me to my core.
The first decision I actually made regarding this blog was about the title. Being barefoot is a state of being that has long meant something to me. That meaning is complex, nonsensical, and beyond words. There is no one particular sentimental story about something poignant happening to me while I am barefoot. There is no specific life-changing event that I can remember happening in this state (though many probably did). There is just this feeling that I am somehow more connected with the world around me, parts both visible and not. In being barefoot, I am made vulnerable to elements out of my control. There is temperature, terrain, and even occasionally some not-so-friendly insects. I am willingly leaving unprotected the part of me that I most depend on for my daily transportation. And there is something ethereal, and almost magical, about that feeling. It reminds me that the world is larger than myself, past my sphere of influence, and ultimately uncontrollable.
Because of that, being barefoot is my preferred state of being when I worship, especially when music is involved. It doesn't matter the season. In winter I have even been known to slip off multiple layers of socks just to feel the ground underneath me resonate with sound.
And so, that is what this blog will attempt to reflect. It will be a place to explore the things in this world that are bigger than me. It will be an effort towards living and thinking in a way that is more genuine and connected. I find that I feel things more deeply and more humbly when I feel totally connected and engaged. Being barefoot is simply a physical manifestation of that mentality.
It is no secret to anyone who knows me well that I feel everything very deeply. This can feel like both a blessing and a curse. Hopefully, by spending more time being both mentally and physically barefoot, more things will seem a blessing than a curse.
So, here's to exploration, vulnerability, a space to think, room to create, and a whole new era of barefoot rediscovery.
