Shoes in Order
Montreal, Quebec
Surya visits us again, it’s been a consistent stream of sunny days and we are happy. Temperatures are just above freezing during the day. Just socks and crocks do the job for foot protection when outside.
At the school’s day’s end, kids notice the funny man, the guy in the orange whose companion is Raul. The kids take a 2nd look along with parents who have come to bring ‘les enfants’ home. You sometimes forget when you’re in the crowd that you stand out. My dhoti, kurta, chadar (my robes) and I are one. It becomes so much a part of you, yet to others it’s a sensation.
The other day a dog ran at haste in curiosity towards me in a park. Once he got close he barked like crazy. His owner who quickly ran to appease me said to me, “You know I think he’s not used to the colour.”
“Hey, he’s alive,” I thought.
Once Raul and I arrived from our 2nd trek of the day, I noticed the street shoes strewn about at the foyer’s entrance of the ashram where I’m staying. This is a pet peeve of mine. I take it as a service wherever I go to establish a neatness, placing everything in the provided shoe shelf. Perhaps the standard retains itself for a day or two after I’m gone and on to the next destination.
Reservedly, I mean to say, I likely won’t make the public statement at a next teaching on devotion declaring, “When we as a community can get our foot wear placed in order then it will be possible for us to make positive inroads into society with our message of devotion.” Ahhh! There I go, I said it, it slipped out of my thoughts and onto the internet world, so I might as well continue. I declare it boldly now, “Get your shoe act together!” After all, humility, the basis of all success, starts at the feet. Shoes. Boots. They matter. Unless, of course, you’re on a bare foot kick. That is practically extinct in November in Canada. Those tootsies will freeze off.
Every now and then, especially on the marathon walk, I’m reminded of the old Nancy Sinatra song, “These boots were made for walkin’”,people love to sing it and make a point about protecting the feet and using them. Although I think it was more of a fashion statement in the 60’s.
But for now, I’ll stick to crocks until the snow flies.
9 KM
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