Rocky Roads, Mud Holes and Briers.
Many a toe was bumped or torn open when having fun running in open fields or dirt roads. The experience of mud squeezing between the toes and around the heels is an unforgettable experience. The tender foot had a lot in store for the season, One could hardly walk at first due to the feet being so tender. It didnt take long to look for soft ground or grass to walk in. But before long rocky roads and mud holes was just another challenge. However those green briers always won out. One time I got a splinter, and my young aunt tried to remove it with a safety pen. Later it got infected, with red streaks running up my leg. Grandpa said I needed to see a Doctor. This was the first trip to a Doctor, I really didnt want to go because they told me the Doctor would open it. The Doctor treated it and it got well. I do not remember the Doctor's name but his office was upstairs on the Courthouse Square just north of the Burkesville Road.

Iodine and White Linen.
Parents were equipped with alcohol, iodine and salve for stumped toes and skinned knees. The treatment was almost as bad as the injury, cleaning skinned toes with cold water and treating with iodine, then wrapping them with linen strips torn from old bed lining or other clothes, to stop the bleeding and keep some dirt out, to help them heal.

What Can Be Done Barefooted?
Climb trees, run races, wad creeks, splash in mud holes, track up waxed floors and much more. If you lived your childhood days without the experience of removing those shoes and running on mother earth, then you really missed this long remembered experience.