I was thrilled a few mornings ago on my daily barefoot “earthing” walk on a local college campus, to see evidence that someone else had been going barefoot, too. The print was large and wide, almost Bigfoot size, so I assumed it was a male student or a very large, Amazonian girl. It looked almost bear-like in form with large, curved claws and other exaggerated features. I’m pretty sure this human animal had no idea about how walking barefoot was grounding his/her body and allowing it to be recharged by the energies coming up from the earth. No, I imagine the act was done spontaneously, probably late at night after a few beers with great laughter as the cool, squishy mud pressed up between the toes and folded around the outer edges of the foot. It reminded me of when I went to the same college in the 1970’s and walked barefoot to class everyday until the cold weather would finally force me to put on shoes. I believe when this student bravely chose to walk in the mud, that person’s Spirit of Place changed for a brief moment. The mud transformed from a messy nasty thing to avoid to a joyful memory of childhood and a reminder of our close connection to nature.