You can't be in here barefoot!

by sharleen wl

as many of you know hawaii is quite a barefoot friendly place especially the small towns where life is even more laid back than in big cities like honolulu. going barefoot in public is well tolerated for the most part and you'll likely see at least a barefooter or two out and about on any given day. i know its not as many as in new zealand or australia but still more than in most other places in the u.s. very rarely do you see the 'no shoes no service' sign that's abundant on the mainland. but like anything else there's exceptions. i have been kicked out of places of business for being barefoot. i've never written anything about it so far cuz i don't like to focus on the negative. but today i decided to write about my recent experience cuz its actually kinda 'interesting' and just to show you that its not always a bed of roses in paradise.

its 11 o'clock sunday morning. i open my eyes to the bright sun shining through my bedroom window. ya, sunday is the only day i don't have to work and i don't go to church as i'm an atheist so i usually either sleep in or do fun stuff just for myself. sunday is a glorious day :)

my feet are filthy from barefooting and i haven't washed them in a while. they only get washed when i take a shower and i haven't done it in... i don't remember, lol. i've read that its actually not recommended to take a shower every day unless you live in a really hot and humid place cuz your skin gets too dry. one article says its literally up to you how often you wanna shower as long as the people around you don't complain haha! but i digress.

there's smudges of dirt on my bedsheet and i smile in amusement looking at them. good thing i don't live with my parents anymore or my mom would kill me. people may think i'm disgusting and maybe i am but i don't give a fuck. i live my life the way i like it.

so i get up and walk to the bathroom to wash my face. its sunday so i don't even need to comb my hair. i just run my fingers through it to kinda straighten it. its starting to get a little oily so maybe i should take a shower soon ;) i don't usually eat breakfast so once i get dressed i head out the door. i'm in my favorite outfit - a crop top and a pair of torn jeans shorts, and of course nothing on my feet. oh ya, i also have my nerdy glasses on.

there's a gift and arts & craft shop not too far from my apartment which i've been to a couple of times. i like it cuz they have a lot of interesting stuff. i walk in and there are a few other people inside. while looking at some crafting stuff i see an older woman walk towards me. i figure she's probably an employee wanting to ask me if i need help. she stops like about 3 feet away and looks at my feet. i still think nothing of it cuz i'm used to people looking at my bare feet.

then she says something that kinda catches me by surprise: "um... miss, you can't be in here barefoot!"

i'm like, "oh really? but i've been here barefoot a couple times before with no problem."

"well, you weren't supposed to. whoever was working should've told you to leave!" she says with a stern looking face.

i usually don't like arguing and would normally just say 'ok' and leave. but today i'm feeling a bit rebellious so im like, "but why?"

"its for health reasons. you know that the pandemic isn't completely over right? there are viruses on the ground and they can get into your body if you step on them without wearing shoes. and your feet look so dirty, i'm afraid you also track the viruses and other nasty stuff from outside into the store, and if other people also go barefoot in here everybody will get sick!" she replies and her voice is getting impatient.

"but you can't get covid from going barefoot," i retort.

"yes you can!" she says with an even louder voice. some of the customers are looking at us. "you must be a student," she goes on. "i know many of you kids like going barefoot outside. but you don't think. this is hawaii where you have to take your shoes off before entering a home, so if your barefoot outside you track the dirt and germs inside which is disgusting!"

"are you like... the manager or something?"

"i'm the owner!"

"well maybe you should put a sign at the door that says no bare feet."

"don't tell me how to run my business!"

at that point i shake my head and roll my eyes.

"hey, don't give me that attitude young lady! you need to leave now!" she yells as she walks outside and calls the security guard who then escorts me out.

i'm totally humiliated as everyone in the store has their eyes on me. i feel i'm literally being treated like a criminal. there's absolutely no need to call the fucking security guard since i was about to leave anyway.

so i rush home, my filthy bare feet pounding against the pavement. when i get home i slam the door behind me and sit down on the couch sobbing. ya, despite being rebellious and a free spirit i'm a cry-baby lol.

as tears are running down my cheeks, my phone suddenly rings. its my big sister debbie calling from california. i quickly wipe my face and nose with my hands and answer the phone. she just wants to chat as we don't get to see each other very often. i'm still sniffling when talking to her so she asks, "your sniffling, are you having a cold again?" ya, i literally just got over a cold like a week ago.

i'm like, "no... actually i was crying," feeling just a little embarrassed but my sister knows me well so its ok to open up to her. i go on to tell her about what happened at the store. she agrees calling the security guard was an overkill but she says the old lady likely has a short temper and i triggered her.

"but did you have fun though?" asks debbie.

"uh... well, kinda i guess," i reply, giggling a little.

"good, that's what's most important," she says.

debbie is a great sister whom i've looked up to since i was little. she often told me that the most important thing in life is to enjoy it to the fullest and have fun. its ok to be naughty and rebellious as long as you accept that you have to pay the price once in a while, and every experience good or bad, enriches you're life.

looking back, it was indeed kind of a fun little experience although i didn't feel that way when it was happening. just the fact that i broke the rule by being in the store barefoot was fun (ya, rules are meant to be broken :p); the confrontation with the owner and how i triggered her was fun; being escorted out by the security guard was a new experience that i'll never forget and yes, dare i say, enriches my life; even the crying at home was fun lol. call me crazy but that's how i enjoy life by turning negatives into positives.

anyways debbie and i chat for almost 2 hours. by the time we're done i'm starving and i have nothing to eat at home. so i decide to walk to the shopping center behind my apartment where there's a chinese fast food restaurant. i can either bring the food home or eat it there. i decide to sit in there and watch people since its more interesting than sitting at home. i know the owner and they don't mind people being barefoot in there. after lunch i walk to the beach. not to swim but just to sit in the sand and relax and do more people watching. so it hasn't been such a terrible day after all.

from paradise hawaii this is sharleen reminding you that life is magical even though we hit a bump on the road every once in a while. so...

aloha, and have a magical day!