“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing,” Walt Disney said. So, let’s consider what it means to go feet first into our life story in a metaphorical and practical way.
WHAT DOES FEET HAVE TO DO WITH WRITING?
Quite a lot, it turns out. Your feet take you where you want to go, they provide the means to explore new territories, as they support your everyday routines. Use the places your feet take you to, to enrich your life story writing.
CONSIDER THE PHYSICAL MIRACLE OF YOUR FEET
When you explore a topic in your writing, whether it is feet, pine trees, Palomino horses or sea urchins – always ensure that you do proper research and know as much as possible about your topic.
If you write about feet, just consider the following: We have delicate feet.
Our feet are super sensitive. They are covered with special hairless skin full of nerve endings. That’s why it hurts when we get a foot injury.
“Yet, they aren’t as delicate as we think… They consist of twenty-six bones, thirty-three joints, and over a hundred muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These are working together like a machine to let us move around.
When we run, our feet work like springs. They must handle up to seven times our body weight every time they hit the ground. Thanks to the clever arrangement of ligaments, tendons, and muscles, our feet store and return much of that force to the ground.
And every pair of feet is unique. No two pairs are the same. They come in assorted sizes, shapes, flexibility, strength, and walking patterns. It is like our feet have their own personalities. But how have our feet come to this point?
Researchers have been looking at toes and feet to figure out when and how humans started walking upright. Bipedalism was a major step in human evolution. So, scientists have been digging into the details of foot evolution to piece together the story of our species.”
THE BENEFITS OF GOING BAREFOOT
Walk barefoot is a super way to awaken your senses and be in tune with your surroundings.
It allows your body to move the way it’s meant to, as shoes can sometimes be harmful or cause pain.
Being barefoot helps with balance, body awareness, and even pain relief. Plus, it can improve your foot mechanics, which can positively affect your hips, knees, and core.
TWO BOOKS ABOUT FEET TO INSPIRE YOUR OWN WRITING:
WALK IT OFF BY ERNS GRUNDLING
You can have the world at your feet if you write a good memoir.
In 2015 Erns Grundling was overweight, injured and burnt out. In Walk it off he describes his solo Camino walking trip, and the healing it brought on many levels. With this memoir Grundling inspires us to try new ventures and move out of our comfort zones, using our feet.
THE SEX LIFE OF THE FOOT AND SHOE
William A. Rossi is a podiatrist and his book The sex life of foot and shoe explores this topic in detail.
“With thoroughness and elan, the author takes us on a walking tour through history, from Chinese foot binding to the outrageous distortions of the foot gladly suffered by women over the centuries in the cause of sexual allure. He explores the peculiarly American obsession with “sick” and “tired” feet, and the huge industry that has sprung up to cater to our negativism. He gives an insightful psychosexual guide to people via footwear. This book is a unique piece of social history, a provocative, often witty, and always original, inquiry into human behaviour.”
FEET FIRST INTO YOUR LIFE STORY
If you are writing a travel memoir or any life story where walking and traveling feature, do not hesitate to contact me, an author coach, to discuss your progress.