Working a barefoot job part 2
A barefoot girl story about working barefoot
by sharleen wlok so i finally graduated from college. phew! i was this close to not making it but i finally did, and i'm proud of myself. and the best thing is i'm still barefoot.
i've not been able to find a job in my field, and since i'm living on my own now, the part time job i had at the tanaka's* wasn't going to cut it. ya, my parents told me since i'm no longer a student, i couldn't continue to fully depend on them. i would have to try hard to support myself one way or another. they would still be there as a safety net.
so i had to find a full time job whether in my field or not. it wasn't easy, and for many months i was living on instant noodels :) i had a few interviews (oh, i hate going to those cuz i have to dress up and wear shoes lol) but i didn't get any of the jobs.
one day my young boss michelle told me that a friend of hers who owns a souvenier shop in a tourist area needed a cashier and that i would be a good fit. she wouldn't mind if i left cuz it would be easy to find a replacement since the store is near campus and alot of students look for part time jobs.
but another thing she told was that i couldn't dress like a "rebellious college kid" (her words) anymore which means no more tank tops and ripped jeans shorts (michelle probably told her about that too). well, bummer! but hey, at least i can still work barefoot and that's a fucking big deal.
i work monday to friday from 10am to 7pm. i still work at the tanaka's for half a day on saturdays (in my rebellious college kid attire lol). so ya, that keeps me pretty busy but helps make ends meet. and i can't say this enough, i still get to work barefoot which is fantastic. my big sister tania is jealous of me, but i told her i make nowhere near what she does, so there's a trade off.
i still don't have a car, and my new work place isn't within walking distance so i have to take the bus which is usually kinda fun. but we're talking about a tourist area here, where most of the passengers are tourists, and many are foreigners who (unlike the hawaiian locals) aren't used to seeing anybody riding the bus in bare feet. so far i've always been the only one barefoot on the bus and many people would look at me (and my feet) strange which made me a little uncomfortable in the beginning. their probably wondering why the fuck a nicely dressed girl doesn't wear shoes and her feet are all dirty, lol. but after awhile i got used to the stares. a small price to pay for total freedom and comfort.
despite the stares usually people on the bus don't say anything to me. but one day a young guy seated next to me asked if i was a hula dancer or something. i giggled and said no then asked him why he thought that. he said because i was barefoot. i told him i was a cashier at a store and that in hawaii its quite common for people to go barefoot. he was like shocked that i was even allowed to work barefoot. he said he was from new york and the only people who would go barefoot in public there are the bums and mentally ill. well, i'm sure there are a few barefooters in ny who would disagree. but he added that he might consider moving to hawaii :)
ya, hawaii is paradise indeed, especially if you love going barefoot. this is sharleen reminding you that life is magical so...
aloha and have a magical day!
update
i've been pretty busy lately so i haven't posted in awhile. but due to the pandemic, the store where i work is closed (hopefully temporarily) and i'll be home alot.
update 4/13/20
i found another job as a cashier in a small restaurant not to far from my apartment that does takeout orders. they told me i had to have footware on at work but it could be slippers (flip flops). i thought it wasn't bad, i had done it before. it wouldn't be ideal but better than having to wear shoes, and i need the money.
after working like a week or so i thought to myself why couldn't i be barefoot since there was no dine-in customers. through the years i've learned that if you don't ask for what you want, you won't get it. and if you really want it you have to expect to get it. so i psyched myself up and asked my boss if it would be ok to be barefoot at work since no customer would see me anyway. to my delight they said yes!
so i'm now back working a barefoot job and living the barefoot lifestyle 24/7. another great thing is i can walk to work which only takes like 10 minutes. so its all good.
some closing thoughts:
i know the present situation sucks, and if you live in the u.s. the current social and political atmosphere only adds to it. we're living in unchartered territory and its easy to feel down and be in despair, but hang in there and don't give up. ever!
remember life in general is still good. the magic is still there although it may not be so obvious. you just have to look for and focus on the good things and there are plenty. avoid any source of negativity like the news, social media, etc. spending time in nature (barefoot if you can) will help too. i believe the more positive our collective attitude is, the quicker things will improve.
hey, i'm not a counselor or anything (and if you feel you need professional counseling please seek it). i'm just a barefoot girl, a wild child with a dirty mouth and dirty feet (that's how my mom likes to describe me and i wear it as a badge of honor, lol). but i can share what i know from experiences and studying personal development.
one more quick thing: some people have expressed concern about going barefoot during this time. i'm no expert, but as far as i know the disease is mostly air borne so you likely won't get it from being shoeless. just like you don't worry about getting the flu from walking around barefoot. of course, each person should make their own decision for whatever reason. as for me, i'm not curtailing my barefooting. i just have to stop rubbing my face with my soles and picking my nose with my toes <giggles>. aloha from your goofy barefoot girl!
*working a barefoot job part 1
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