While most of us have already whipped out our winter boots, there’s one student who refuses to let the change of seasons control his lifestyle: walking barefoot. Bennett Payne, first year student here at PSU, has been walking barefoot for sometime now. In fact he has had more of an opportunity to embrace this lifestyle since attending PSU. Payne is originally from Antrim, New Hampshire and is currently an Undeclared Major and doesn’t have a clue as to what he’d like to do career-wise. Some might consider the uncertainty scary, however he finds it quite fun.
Clock: What’s the story behind your lifestyle?
Payne: I never really realized I had a lifestyle till I came up here, I just saw myself as average if maybe a little odd at timse. Apparently spending my whole life in a small town (2,000 people) and in a very wooded area has made me a little odd. My parents are old school hippys that have since sold out but I always grew up going on camping trips or just being outdoors. Being in the woods for me is the most peaceful place I can find. So with being outside all the time, I just kinda of took off my shoes sometimes. Over time it became easier and easier and I really liked the feeling of the earth beneath my feet so I kept up with it.
Clock: How often are you barefoot?
Payne: I always just walked around barefoot when I could before coming up here. But living so far away from things I would have to drive and it is against the law to drive barefoot, as I found out. So I just wore shoes whenever I went out but took them off whenever I could, especially when I was outside. But now that I came up here and have to drive quite literally nowhere, I can keep my shoes off. I carry shoes around to put on if I need to go into buildings at all, those places are disgusting. And yes, I do wear shoes when I go to the bathroom, that is just plain dangerous not to.
Clock: Aren’t you afraid of hurting your feet?
Payne: I am always wary of where I step, but it has taught me to keep a sharp and quick eye. I have learned to see the glint of glass or the rocks that are especially sharp. But once again, it hurts less as you build your feet up. I don’t really notice any pain anymore. I try not to think of the worst that could happen, but it is a possibility.
The Clock: Ever think about the diseases you could pick up?
Payne: I wash my feet well when I shower and I wear shoes inside where most of the diseases are so I am not terribly worried.
The Clock: Would you recommend other people include this choice in their lifestyle?
Payne: I would highly recommend other people to try going barefoot a bit. Whether it be just to walk around your room, walk through the grass, or go on a little hike through the woods. It is hard at first, but that is something that is easily gotten around. But it is an amazing feeling to feel the life everything below you. You can feel the age of the bricks in front of Mary Lyon, or the grass below your feet in the common. I almost feel more alive doing it, feeling more around of what’s around me.
“It’s dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.” -J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings.