It is really amazing how much the world has changed just since I was a kid. I really did walk barefoot to school in the first grade. My brother was in 3rd grade and went to the same school. In my memory it was a mile long walk. I found the address to the house we lived in and I looked it up. It was about 4 blocks to school for a car, but on foot we took shortcuts.
And yes I was really and truly barefoot. No snow as it was in Pearl City, Hawaii. I wore no shoes and no shirt to go to school, and almost everywhere. Mom made me put on a shirt to go to the store or to visit friends. I only wore shoes to go to church on Easter Sunday. One year I did not have any shoes that fit so I wore my "good" flip flops. We were not real PC back then and everyone called I knew them "Jap Flaps"
I doubt there are many children walking to grade school now days. I rode my bike to 3rd grade but that was San Marcos, Texas. I had to get used to shoes.
