Zebra Walk

Whenever I am working at my closest school for the whole day and do not need to drive between several buildings in the middle of the workday, I leave the car at home and walk to work. Today was one of those days. The walk to school takes about 12-13 minutes along flat residential streets in suburbia, so it does not exactly require prodigious effort. It is more of a humdrum stroll easily accomplished while half asleep.

I set off in the overcast but comfortably warm morning with my Timbuk2 bag, containing my lunch and notebooks, on my back and wearing only a t-shirt and skirt. On my feet I had flip flops, my favorite zebra-striped flip flops. Walking briskly in flip flops requires skill and agility which eluded me this morning. My shoes felt too big and were bothering me, so I kicked them off. Clasping them in both hands, I continued on barefoot and unfazed.

As soon as I felt the earth--slightly subjugated under a layer of pavement but nevertheless grounding--beneath my toes, my mood brightened and my step quickened. The world came into focus. Barefoot habits have that kind of influence and power. Every nerve ending in the soles of my feet woke up with a shout of glee. My feet tingled with wellbeing. Suddenly a tedious walk of quiet desperation to work turned into a triumphant prose-worthy journey of quintessential discovery. A Clydesdale horse turned into a Zebra. Never underestimate drudgery.