You Are More....

And so am I.  I am more than the clothes I wear and the shoes on my feet.  Or as my daughter would say, the "not shoes" on my feet.

I was at a local establishment this morning, one that I frequent almost daily.  Usually for a coffee refill but sometimes to get an omelet for the kids.  As I was walking in, a customer was walking out and said to another person in the store, "Hey look, it's the barefoot guy!"  It wasn't in any type of negative way, just acknowledging my presence to others around.  She made no attempt to actually engage me.  That's when I politely said, "I also have a name, it's Jon."

It makes me wonder.  How many times has she noticed me?  How often am I talked about and referred to as simply, the barefoot guy?  Was she even going to say hi to me or am I just some object that walks around for people to comment on?  Because, this isn't the first time something like this happened.

I took my shoes off in the spring of 2013 and didn't put them back on until the spring of 2015.  Aside from a few moments in the bitter cold winters or an extended period of time in the snow.  Two reasons I put them back on.  Running 20-40 miles a week was too much for the condition of my feet. And I was sick of being known as the barefoot guy.  Anywhere I went, just about everyone I knew only ever acknowledged what was on or off my feet.  It got really annoying.  I am more than that.  There is more to me than what's on my feet.  I'm sorry that that's what you only see.

I also got sick of the problems in certain stores.  I didn't want to argue.  Even though I knew all the legalities and insurance regulations and it was perfectly legal to not wear shoes.  I hated to argue.  If you want to read about that stuff...it's about 415 blogs ago.  Seriously, back in 2013...if you are interested.

So in 2015 I just decide to where whatever I wanted on my feet.  Or not.  Sometimes I'll wear shoes, other times sandals and other times nothing.  It's been fantastic.  And yet...two years later, people still comment.  STILL!  And I don't think ever remember anyone ever really asking "why" with an intent to understand.  Ok...maybe one person.

Anyway...back to this morning.  Talking about me without actually talking to me has never made me feel more like an object.  It was really eye opening.  And it made me be more aware of the many people I encounter on a daily basis.  Even the employees at certain store, they are more than the cashier.  They are more than their job.  They have a story, they have a family.  Stop and ask about it sometime.

Don't create a character out of someone.

Often times you can't see the heart from the outside.  You have to dig a little deeper.