The Right to Barefootedness
I left a job because of something simple: I wanted to sit and work barefoot. It was not really about shoes. It was about self ownership.. and the right to make my own choices. Somewhere between rules and roles, I noticed something shifting in me. The more I adapted to what was expected, the further I moved from how I naturally regulate, think, and feel. Barefoot became my small act of honesty, a way of staying connected while I worked. Not everyone understands that. But for me, being barefoot is not casual. It is grounding. It is regulation. It is presence. It is a reminder that I am not only a function or a role, but a living system in contact with the world. When that was not allowed anymore, something became clear. It was not just about comfort. It was about autonomy. How much of myself do I need to remove in order to fit into a space? And at what point does adaptation become disconnection? We often think professionalism is about presentation. But there is an...