Barefoot Boy
Things were different in the 1960’s. I remember feeling so sorry for one boy. Maybe nowadays, teachers would look into the situation, but back then, as long as there were no obviously visible signs of abuse, they would look the other way.
He came to school every day in the same clothes, with no shoes, even in the winter. Yes, it was in south Texas, but it did get really cold part of the winter, with frost on the ground, sometimes windy with sleet or freezing rain falling. it must have been miserable, walking in that with bare feet.
On those cold days, he wore a thin, threadbare windbreaker. It couldn’t have helped much with the cold. He had no gloves or cap, just that flimsy windbreaker.
At lunch time, I made a point of sitting near him, since nobody else would have anything to do with him. I was too shy to talk, but I always smiled at him, and he would smile back. We never spoke, and I never learned his name.
His lunch was two slices of bread, with maybe a tablespoon of peanut butter. That’s all. I know, because if the two slices of bread were crooked, he would carefully pull them apart and line them up straight. That’s when I would see that there was a paper thin smear of peanut butter, barely enough to hold the two slices together.
That thin sandwich was in a small brown paper bag, which he was always careful to fold up and put back in his pocket. It got so wrinkled and worn out, but he would use it until it was falling apart, before he showed up with a new bag.
After he would eat his meager sandwich, he would go to the water fountain. He didn’t even bring anything to drink with his lunch.
If I had been less shy, I would have happily shared my lunch with him. It didn’t occur to me until years later, that it must have been cruel to let him see me eating a good lunch. If I had it to do over again, I would have given him some of my food.
I’ve always wondered what his home life was like, and whatever became of him.
7 Comments
jerry godinho
This piece feels like a quiet memory unfolding in warm light, where childhood isn’t just remembered, it’s felt underfoot, almost like you can hear the grass bending and the world moving a little slower around it. I love how it leans into innocence and freedom, that barefoot symbolism becoming a kind of emotional shorthand for being unburdened, unarmored, and fully present in life’s simple textures. It leaves you with that gentle ache that comes from realizing how fleeting those untouched, unselfconscious seasons really are.
Andreia Mulligan
It’s crazy what we remember when we take the time to look back in our childhoods. I wonder how much he must have enjoyed your company during those lunch sessions.
Kat
This story about the boy in south Texas is heartbreaking because those small details stay with you forever. Your kindness and that simple smile probably meant much more to him than you realize at the time.
Karletta
This piece touched me very deeply, even with tears. It brought back memories of a girl they used to call “stink bug” at my school. So cruel. I remember feeling for her, hating that the other children picked on her, but not being brave or bold enough to stand up for her. I wish I had of. I still regret that years later.
Your writing touched my heart today. I look forward to reading you more.
And if ever you’d like to share a piece on Daily Inspired Life, I just know you have wisdom to share with our community there. Even this piece would inspire people in a very empathetic, gentle way.
Thank you.
Barbie R
This is really sad. I can’t believe they didn’t do anything about his shoes. I guess that was a different era. Heck, the teachers could have bought him some shoes to wear in class. Sad story. Love to know what happened with this boy
Clarice
Awww, I’m so sorry to hear about the boy’s situation. It’s truly heartbreaking, and I really hope he’s living a much better life now and receiving the love and care he deserves. Reading about what he went through makes me wish I could have been there to help him in some way, even just a little.
Beth
I have a few memories like this that come up every now and again. It’s hard to know what to do as a young kid. Unfortunately, the worst part is that the adults did nothing. =(