Where you step matters more than how you step.
Walking along the rugged Oregon coast at low tide, I found the exposed sand smooth, firm, yet forgiving. I strode briskly, watching the surf and gulls and listening to waves breaking against the distant capes. I slipped off my sandals to feel the cool sand. My pace grew easy and carefree—until I stepped hard on the first stone.
Without noticing, I had wandered from smooth sand into a stretch peppered with stones, broken shells, and the discarded armor of crabs. My stride changed immediately. The beach hadn’t stopped me, nor had my destination changed, but suddenly where I placed my foot mattered more than how gracefully or quickly I walked. The journey remained the same distance. The experience and conditions had changed significantly.
I could have put my sandals back on and barged through. Protection was available to me. But something was interesting about staying barefoot. I had to pay attention. Every step required a small decision: sand, stone, shell, water. Being exposed without protection demanded awareness.
Life often offers us sandals. Money, position, privilege, education, experience, even simple good fortune can insulate us from terrain others must feel directly. There is nothing inherently wrong with wearing sandals. Sometimes wisdom demands them. But protection carries its own danger: eventually we may stop noticing what we are walking across—or what others are walking across without them.
That led me to another question. How much of our path do we actually choose? Some of it, certainly. Decisions accumulate beneath us like footprints in wet sand. But none of us selects the entire terrain. We inherit circumstances, encounter unexpected stones, climb hills we never intended to, and sometimes find ourselves on roads we would never have chosen. We may not be responsible for every path beneath our feet, but we remain solely responsible for the next step and its consequence.
Perhaps that is one of life’s quieter distinctions. The path is shaped by circumstance. The step is a choice. And the things we place between ourselves and the ground are protection. Wisdom lies in knowing which is which.
Life’s road is rarely narrow, straight, or smooth. It twists through roots and rocks, rises unexpectedly, and occasionally opens onto stretches of wonderfully firm sand. Sometimes we walk beside others; sometimes the path narrows, and we walk alone. Either way, attention matters. We should notice the hazards and opportunities along our path, but also recognize that the person beside us may be walking barefoot on entirely different ground.
Walk quickly if you wish. Walk slowly if you need to. Wear sandals when the terrain demands them, and take them off occasionally so you remember how the ground feels.
Watch where you step; your next one might land on someone else.
NeverFearTheDream………. W. C. Barron………. simplebender.com……….keystonecompact.org
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