Colorful Characters — G. Polk Cline

Here’s a story about a barefoot lawyer.

But no, it’s not recent.

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The Utility of Toes

I spent the weekend in the hospital. I was supposed to go in for laparoscopic surgery to have my gallbladder taken out. However, when the surgeon got in there, the gallbladder was so inflamed (and had been so for so long) that it had attached itself to my upper intestine.

So they had to open me up fully and I ended up being in the hospital from Thursday through Sunday.

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The Elephant in the Room

When one is a barefooter, it is always the annoyance of the dreaded confrontation that sits in the back of the mind. But, to be truthful, they are actually rather rare. Most people won’t say a thing.

But there is still a background of interest out there.

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Church Deacon Disciplined

In 1896 Deacon Jonathan Fechter showed up for church in his bare feet.

He was disciplined by the other deacons.

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A Deep Cut

I haven’t been doing much hiking lately—I’ve just had other things to do and I haven’t made it as much of a priority. But I made it to Hocking Hills last week to do about 8½ miles, and then yesterday I went to Great Seal State Park and did about 5 miles.

And at Great Seal I had something happen that hasn’t happened in along time: I sliced the sole of my foot.

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What Am I Doing Wrong?

As I think about much of the advice that I keep seeing coming from podiatrists and other experts, I figure I must be doing something wrong.

Their admonitions just aren’t coming true.

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Dictated by Customs

You would think that after all these years of going barefooted, I’d no longer have concerns about whether to go barefoot and that worries would be behind me.

But there is still a niggling in the back of the brain.

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Save Me From Youthful Earnestness

I was in my secondary Kroger yesterday checking out when I heard that all-too-familiar request: “Sir, when you come in next time, could you please wear shoes?”

My answer: “No.”

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How Officials Cheat — Part 3

Here’s a little story about the United States Supreme Court and bare feet. I’m prompted to tell it because the USSC recently changed their official regulations.

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You’re In the Wrong Store

I was shopping on Friday at a different grocery store than my usual one. As I was wheeling my cart along, one of the employees pointed at my feet and said, “You’re in the wrong store.”

But I bet it’s not what you think.

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Snakes and Snakebite

I generally don’t worry about venomous snakes when I am out hiking, but it sure is a concern of those who I meet. So the question arises, just how much risk is one taking when out hiking barefoot?

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Sir, Are You Okay?

It’s funny how we tend to orbit our comfort zone. We get used to doing things a certain way. We go to the same places; we mainly shop the same places.

I suspect that’s particularly true when one regularly goes barefoot. You’re just interested in getting your stuff done, so you go to the places where you haven’t been hassled before.

But it is also true that we tend to exaggerate in our minds the possibility of attention. Even in new places, it doesn’t happen much.

But there are times when it can be a real surprise.

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Try and Stop Me

Here’s a bit of a cute anecdote about Dizzy Dean before he became a pro pitcher.

It’s from Bennett Cerf’s column in 1959.

Dizzy Dean, one of the all-time baseball greats, tells this story
on himself. When he was pitching for an Arkansas hillbilly nine in
his salad days, a rival outfit, determined to undo him, sprinkled
broken blass around the mound. Diz, barefoot, hurled six shutout
innings without a squawk, but then he stalked over to the rival
manager and grumbled, “Joe, you just gotta get this broken
glass away from here. It’s cuttin’ up the ball!”

Try and Stop Me

 

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Russell Brand. Scofflaw?

No way. It’s just the usual set of ignorati.

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I’ve Got CIVD

It’s that time of year again (at least in the Northern hemisphere). For those who cannot say “me all face“, there are other things that let you go barefooted in colder weather.

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