of temples & shoes

i've never been very religious. i do have faith that there is something there. or someone. but who or what it is, i do not know. i think they term this as being agnostic.
but i very sincerely do not believe in idol worship. i don't believe that god *as we know him* exists in temples. and that to visit him u have to leave ur shoes outside. or maybe, it's because we have to leave our shoes outside, that i don't want to go inside?

i've been like this since i was a kid *as far back as i can remember*. i think it all started when i was warned by some well-meaning relative to leave my shoes in the car while we visited the temple. *i must've been 5 or 6 then*. on being asked the reason *yeah, i was just as irritating back then as well. i HAD to know y*, they told me that there was a possibility of my shoes being stolen! STOLEN? if they can't take care of my shoes, why do they want me to take them off? *i don't think they had paid shoe-racks back then* that had such a deep impact on me that i stopped going to temples. unless dragged or emotionally blackmailed.

that's how i realized that i have a very strong connection with my footwear. i don't remember the last time i walked bare foot *after the age of 5. before that, i barely remember anything!* except for the beach, where i keep my footwear safe in the car. this also helps to keep sand out of both - the car & the footwear. even if they're flip-flops!

i even dislike removing my footwear outside someone's house when there're lots of people there. i dread the thought of someone else's footwear finding it's way on top of mine, or toppling mine over. my aunt had explained the logic of this process to me, which i have now forgotten. *it did make sense then, tho*

i also, preferred churches to temples. this had little to do with me having gone to a convent *like my relatives thought* and more with the fact that i could keep my footwear where it belonged! i think that's why i feel more at peace in churches than in temples. my mind's not outside!

come to think of it, it's actually been an awful lot of years since i visited a temple. i think i must try it sometime. now, i've heard, they even have paid shoe-racks. where they ensure that our footwear is safe. must give it a try.