Unshodden Shopping

From the Archive – Feb 2011.

I have to admit that this morning’s first unshodden shopping trip, was made more by default than design.  It was a foul morning weather-wise, the type of morning you wouldn’t even put a milk bottle out in;  and after working outdoors for the last couple of days that wasn’t an option again today, not even in my own garden.  House work? Not an option either.  Period.  And as the fridge was empty, it seemed like the ideal time to venture into a supermarket ….. unshodden.

I anticipated a confrontation or at least a questioning.

Before doing anything remotely ‘challenging’ barefoot (or shodden for that matter), I tend to indulge in a little visualisation – just to get clear on the outcome I’d like.  This morning was no exception.  Before leaving, I pictured myself wandering along the supermarket aisles, picking up the food I wanted, going through the checkout quickly and cheerfully and driving back home feeling rather pleased with myself, all barefoot and blissfully easy. And that’s precisely what happened.  Despite believing completely in the power of manifestation, or segment intending as Esther and Gerry Hicks describe it, I am nonetheless rather shocked!

I chose Asda’s as I wanted to get my brother a DVD and they have the best choice.  Plus, secretly I was confident they would be the least likely to be upset with an unshodden shopper.

Driving barefoot is now absolutely dreamy.  Negotiating the car park barefoot was a nightmare.  I picked my way from the truck to the front doors like a kid trying not to step on the cracks of a pavement   – and just as conspicuously; and yet no one said anything.  It was tipping down with rain though, so not ideal conditions to stop and find out why a blonde was picking her way barefoot through the supermarket car park on a Saturday morning in torrential rain at the beginning of February.

Just outside the entrance, a woman kindly passed me her trolley and looked directly at my feet – perhaps that’s why she gave me the trolley – but still nothing was said.  Once through the doors, I sloped off to the DVD section and busied myself looking for a specific DVD, to give myself time to adjust to my environment … was it hostile or friendly?   Hmmm, indifferent so far – time to mix with the Natives then, so I tiptoed around men’s clothing and straight into the ready meals.    Wow, it was busy; too busy maybe?  I thought about leaving; not least of all because I felt it was inevitable that someone was going to step on my foot and my fellow shoppers were not exactly feather-weights.

I talked myself into the safety of the fruit and veg aisle and relaxed a little in the familiar and quieter surroundings.   After a few minutes, overwhelmed with courage and confidence, I asked a guy, replenishing the banana box, if he would mind taking a photo of me helping myself to courgettes.  “OK,” he said, taking my phone,  “do you want all of you, like your feet as well?”
Ha – he’d noticed. “Yes please, particularly my feet” I smiled, throwing down the gauntlet.  “OK” he said and took the photo.  As he handed me my phone back he said casually, “That’s probably the maddest thing I’ve been asked to do since I’ve been here,” and went back to his bananas.

And that was it! No questions, no queries, no chastising, no manager called, no problem!

The rest of the grocery-gathering went by equally as uneventful though I didn’t brave the cake and biscuit aisle as that was a bit of a scrum.  I made my way to the till, packed, paid and left … unshodden and unchallenged.

Once back at the truck (note to self – negotiating car parks barefoot may have to be re-considered), Yogi’s little face inspired me to tiptoe over to Pets at Home to do her shopping.   Brimming over with bravado, I bought her treats and asked the guy on the checkout to take another photo for me. “No problem,” he said, “but you’re not from Health and Safety are you?  They wouldn’t like this.” “Do I look like a Healthy Safe person?”  I retorted;  He shrugged at this obvious oversight.  “I’ve just been into Asda’s,” I continued, “they didn’t mind.”

“They wouldn’t” he laughed “but you won’t get into Tesco.  I used to work for them and they’re mad keen about Health and Safety; you’ll never get into Tesco’s.”

Sounds like a Challenge to me.