Stunning photos show pumpkin carver’s spooky jack-o’-lanterns
These stunning photos show a championship-winning pumpkin carver’s spookily real jack-o'-lanterns - which sell for as much as £500.
Simon McMinnis, 40, has spent over a decade chiselling his incredible Halloween lanterns, which feature famous faces such as Boris Johnson and Piers Mogan.
The self-employed tiler began carving pumpkins in 2009 as an outlet for his creativity - after growing a squash weighing 158kg in his back garden.
And he went on to clinch both a British national award and an international title for his amazing vegetable-based crafting skills.
He now sells around 75 of the extremely lifelike sculptures each spooky season, with his work even being showcased on the BBC’s The One Show.
Simon said: “I’m a tiler by trade, but I needed an outlet for the art side, and this seasonal period seemed to work well with me.
“I used to enter competitions if I could, and then I started my [social media] page. And people started seeing the pictures that I was posting.
“The most pleasing one was being asked to do the pregnancy reveal pumpkin.
"That’s an unusual one, usually people ask for faces and things, but to be part of a reveal is quite a thing to be asked."
Simon, from Poulton-le-Fylde, in Lancs., said he'd considered pursuing a career in art before going to university - and later became an independent tradesman.
His interest in pumpkins had come from his grandfather, Peter Smith, who had used his allotment to grow the root vegetable along with mammoth onions.
But 14 years ago, after growing two huge squashes in his back garden, Simon gave carving a try and managed to bag a national award for his design.
He said: “I was left with a giant 600 pound (272kg) pumpkin and another 350 pound (158kg) pumpkin, it’s like ‘what do you do with it?’
“The big one went off to the local garden centre for display, but with the smaller one I thought I’d try and enter a competition for carving.
"I did a witch and a cauldron, and that won first prize in the Witchwood Brewery online annual competition in 2009.”
Simon has now carved thousands of pumpkins, which have featured the faces of ‘Lord Voldemort’ from Harry Potter books, ex-Ukip leader Nigel Farage and even James Bond actor Daniel Craig.
And in 2013, he clinched a first place prize at the Villafane Studios Online 3d pumpkin carving competition, where he competed against worldwide entrants.
His lifelike portraits can take up to eight hours to complete and sell for between £50 and £500 depending on the length of time they take to make them.
Simon said his favourite pumpkin so far was a stunning 3D sculpture of an eye, adding he doesn't mind that his masterpieces eventually rot away.
He said: "A lot of people when they see that can’t get their head around how it’s done. But that’s where I get some nice comments from.
"But at the end of the day, the pumpkins can be composted down and recycled effectively.
"From my point of view, as long as I’ve got my photo finished, it will last forever. It’s nice working with something that is only temporary – that makes it quite special."
Simon said families looking for pumpkins this Halloween should find one with a green stem and a thinner frame.
He said: “The best are ones with good green stem, a big stem, and thick flesh, which are taller rather than squat and wide - not your typical Cinderella-type pumpkins.
“And don’t get any that are damaged or they might rot. If you find there is a hole under the bottom, they might not last very long!”
Fiancée of hockey star killed in ‘freak’ accident pays tribute to “sweet angel”
The fiancée of a star hockey player who died when his throat was slashed as he played a game has paid tribute to her "sweet angel".
Emotional Ryan Wolfe said she would miss Adam Johnson, 29, "forever" and "always" following his death on Saturday (Oct 28) in a ‘freak accident’.
The Nottingham Panthers player, who previously starred in the NHL, suffered the fatal injury to his neck during a collision with Sheffield Steelers' Matt Petgrave.
Shocking footage posted on social media showed the sportsman being helped up off the ice at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena following the clash with blood staining his shirt.
He received emergency medical care and was then rushed to hospital but later died from his wounds.
Releasing her emotional tribute to Adam on Instagram today (Mon), student Ryan said: “My sweet sweet Angel. I’ll miss you forever and love you always.”
It’s believed the couple had become engaged over the summer and were living together in the UK before the terrible tragedy this weekend.
Adam's Mum, Kari Johnson, also released her own tribute on Facebook following his death, writing: "I lost half of my heart today. Love you always Munch."
Further tributes poured in following Adam’s passing, with his team releasing a statement saying they have been left ‘heartbroken’.
The club said: “The Panthers would like to send our thoughts and condolences to Adam’s family, his partner, and all his friends at this extremely difficult time.
“Everyone at the club including players, staff, management, and ownership are heartbroken at the news of Adam’s passing.
“Our thoughts are also with the fans and staff of both clubs, especially those who were attended or were following the game, who will be devastated following today’s news.
“The Panthers would like to thank everyone who rushed to support Adam last night in the most testing of circumstances.
“Adam, our number 47, was not only an outstanding ice hockey player, but also a great teammate and an incredible person with his whole life ahead of him.
“The Club will dearly miss him and will never ever forget him.”
Around 8,000 spectators witnessed the accident, before the game was stopped and screens erected to protect players’ privacy.
Fans who attended the game have begun sharing their shellshocked tributes online.
One fan posted to Facebook: “Last night, we were in the arena and witnessed the horrific accident on the ice.
“When we were all finally told to leave, my legs were shaking and about to give. I was hyperventilating – everything was a blur.
“My thoughts are with Adam Johnson, his family and the Nottingham Panthers.”
Another spectator said, “I wouldn’t wish what we witnessed last night, and what Adam Johnson’s family, friends and colleagues must be going through right now, upon my worst enemy.
“All of the Steelers and Panthers acted so quickly, most of all, our Steelers doctor, who was on that ice within a matter of seconds.
“It was a tragic accident. Rest in paradise Adam Johnson, number 47.”
A third said: “My 17-year-old has come home in bits, he said he can't un-see what he's seen tonight.
"He's white as a sheet. My thoughts and prayers are with the teams involved.”
South Yorkshire Police released a public statement after the incident saying they were carrying out inquiries.
Their spokesperson said: “We were called at 8.25pm yesterday (28 October) to reports that a player had been seriously injured during a Sheffield Steelers versus Nottingham Panthers game at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield.
“Officers attended the scene alongside other emergency services and one man, aged in his 20s, was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Sadly, he was later pronounced deceased at hospital.
“Our officers remain at the scene carrying out enquiries today (29 October) and our investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident remain ongoing.”
The force has been asked for further comment.
Spooky space sightings enough to scare anyone at Halloween
These spooky space sightings are enough to scare anyone at Halloween.
A gallery of outer space oddities includes a screaming skull in the Perseus Cluster,
a huge red eye shape as planet Fomalhaut b orbits its parent star, and even seemingly a massive face on Mars.
Of course, our Sun steals the show looking like a grinning pumpkin as its plasma creates eyes and mouth shapes.
The eerie sights have been captured by astronomers and far-off spacecraft, with many people having fun comparing them to spine-chilling entities.
Blind dog missing for three days reunited with owner – using a drone
This is the touching moment a blind dog missing for three days was reunited with her owner after she was found - with a drone.
The 11-year-old pooch named Molly had disappeared and her desperate owners called a dog search and rescue team.
Drone To Home, a UK-based charity, was able to locate the Labrador in just two hours.
CEO Phil James said Molly's owner thought they would never find their beloved pet.
The team was called on the third day of Molly's disappearance - but her owner had feared she may have died.
Within just two hours of the call, the team were able to locate Molly in Tissington, Derbyshire.
Phil, also chief drone operator and Instructor for the charity, began the mission in 2019 with just himself and one drone.
He said: "I don't get emotional very often but the lab did bring a tear to my eye I must admit. I'm so happy for the owners to see them overjoyed."
He added: "I self funded it up until registering as a charity on the 29th April 2022 and to date we have reunited 2,487 dogs, three ponies, an emu, skunk and nine cows.
"We receive on average about 40 calls and messages a day through our virtual call centre and we have 11 volunteers am trained that answer the phones."
"We all love what we do and have the best job in the world."
To support their work you can donate to the registered charity Drone To Home and visit: www.dronetohome.org.uk
Man leaves explicit note on car outside his house - it belonged to a nun
A devout Christian left an angry note on a car parked outside his house - only to find out it belonged to a nun.
Darice Simpson, 29, placed the note, which read "move your s**tbox!", on the window of the red vehicle.
But he soon ran to remove it when he spotted a nun walking back to the car.
Darice said the nun, who wasn't named, took the note with good humour.
Darice, a sauté cook and devout Christian, said: "I was sitting outside cleaning my shoes and I saw the car parked outside.
"I understand that I don't own the street and that it's not illegal, but we have an unwritten rule, you don't do that.
"I just left it there for a laugh, I wasn't genuinely angry.
"I saw the nun walking down the street and I ran to get the note off the car, I said I'm so sorry sister I hope you have a blessed day.
"She asked what the note said, and I said that's none of your concern, sister, but then I showed her and she laughed.
Darice, who is from Warren, Ohio said that his grandmother was a minister and he wanted to show utmost respect to the nun.
He added: "It was a friendly encounter but when I saw it was a god-fearing woman who drove the car, I remembered my grandmother.
"She would have kicked my *ss"
Darice explained that he is an ex-convict and has been struggling to adapt to being outside after serving four years in prison.
He said that he saw this as an opportunity to correct himself and work towards assimilating back into society.
Darice said: "I did four years in prison, so I tend to be a bit more aggressive in my encounters.
"She was there spreading the word, and I am a strong believer so I needed to show her the utmost respect.
"I did something goofy to get a laugh, and it turned out to be misguided, but I corrected it and we had a laugh in the end."
"I’m a heavily tattooed lawyer - I hid them for years"
A heavily tattooed lawyer who hid her inkings for years now proudly shows them off and refuses to wear suits to help "humanise" the profession.
Alice Stephenson, 42, has always loved tattoos and has ink covering her right arm, neck, chest and back.
She was constantly told she "wouldn’t be employable" and it was "unprofessional" and felt forced to hide them for three years while working at law firms.
But the mum-of-three, wanted to be her “authentic self” and took the plunge to set up her own law firm, Plume.
Now she has ditched the suits and shows off her ink with pride to help “humanise” lawyers.
Alice, the founder and CEO of Plume, from Bristol, said: “I felt like I was wearing this mask every day - both physically and mentally.
“Tattoos really fed into that – I would always cover them.
“If anyone ever caught a glimpse there would be some kind of sarcastic or defamatory comment.
“When I started my business I thought I wasn’t going to cover up my tattoos.
“I wanted to show I was being my authentic self.
“My whole dress sense has changed – I visit clients in jeans and trainers.
“I’m humanising lawyers.”
Alice - who is now living in Amsterdam, Netherlands - took a long route into law after falling pregnant at 18 and not getting the grades she needed for her university course.
After studying sociology, she worked in HR for three years before getting the funding for a law conversion course in 2007.
Alice started her law training in 2009 before moving around law firms.
She said: “I really hated it.
“If I left at half five to pick up my children – people were frowning at you.
“As a junior lawyer the expectation was that you are one of the last people to leave.
“I felt uncomfortable.”
Alice would wear a suit every day and says she would hide her tattoos and personality.
She left in 2014 and started freelancing for businesses as an in-house lawyer before deciding to set up her own firm in 2017.
Alice said: “I started it on my own – everyone thought I was nuts, they thought I would fail.”
Alice also made the decision she was no longer going to cover up her tattoos and wanted to wear what made her feel comfortable – which meant ditching her suit.
She even got her hand tattooed so there was no turning back.
Alice said: “I’m breaking down barriers between lawyers and clients.
“It set me apart from other law firms.
“The suit – that’s all gone now.”
Alice said her humanisation has made lots of clients want to work with her as it is “refreshing”, but she said there is still a long way to go.
She said: "It’s still a mindset – that lawyers shouldn’t have visible tattoos.
"That it is unprofessional.
"I was always told – 'never have any visible tattoos or you won’t be employable'.
"But you're painting yourself grey at the door."
Alice said there are stereotypes of what a lawyer "should look like" and said people often see tattoos on women to mean they are promiscuous and heavy drinkers.
She said: "I hired a trainee who had a tattoo on her foot and was told to wear a plaster to cover it up.
"Some people wear long sleeve jumpers which can be uncomfortable."
Alice says her tattoos don't impact her ability to be a lawyer or run a business - and wants to encourage others to feel "empowered".
She said: "I could never go back.
"I have got the best job in the world.
"The industry is so good at alienating people that don't fit the bold.
"We need more individuality and creativity."
Baby spends half his life in casts after being born with inturned feet
A baby has spent half of his life in leg casts after he was born with his feet - turned inward.
Baby Malakai Kade Sanders, four months, has spent the first eight weeks of his life in casts to straighten out his little legs.
Parents Kayla McHugh and Trai Jayden Sanders, both 27, found out their son had club foot, also known as Talipes, at 20 weeks pregnant.
Club foot is a deformity in which an infant's foot or feet are turned inward.
Mum Kayla said her "heart sank" when doctors revealed the diagnosis.
She said: "It was extremely frightening, confusing and difficult to go through.
"Our biggest concerns and worries were what Malakai’s future was going to look like.
"Will he be able to walk? Will he be able to run one day?"
Since he was born, Malakai has had surgery on his feet and ankles, spent eight weeks in casts and will now have to wear special boots to help re-position his legs.
There's still a long road ahead for Malakai but parents Kayla and Trai are hopeful and say Malakai's future "actually looks really great."
Kayla, an early life educator from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia found out about the irregularity during an ultrasound scan 20 weeks into her pregnancy.
The parents, who already have two children Jye, six, and Nixon, two, "knew something might not be quite right" when the technician changed the conversation during the scan.
The diagnose wasn't immediately revealed to the parents and doctors had to run additional tests to confirm the condition
After a tense four-week wait for the results, the diagnosis was confirmed.
Kayla said she was "devastated, alone and so scared."
She added: "We had never dealt with anything like this before so it was a very new unknown territory for us.
"We wondered if he’d get picked on for his condition and if it would cause him any serious grief as he got older."
As soon as the diagnosis was confirmed, Kayla and Trai learnt everything they could about the condition and met up with a physiotherapist.
So when Malakai was born they were ready to face the challenge.
As soon as the young boy was born, he underwent six weeks of casting to re-position his little legs.
He then went on to have a procedure called a tenotomy followed with further casting.
A tenotomy is a procedure where an injured tendon is cut into to relieve pressure.
In Malakai's case this was on his feet and ankles.
Once his tendons had healed and his final casts had been removed, Malakai was then put into a special pair of boots for 23 hours a day.
The Ponsetti boots are specially adapted with a bar to re-position the legs of the affected person.
Malakai will have to wear the boots until he is five years old and gradually reduce the hours he wears them a day.
Despite all the heartache and stress for Malakai and his parents, they say his future looks good and they're looking forward to it as a family.
Kayla said: "Malakai’s future actually looks really great.
"Malakai may still need to undergo more procedures to his feet such as another Tenotomy or a tendon transfer however he may not have to.
"Every child is different and may need things others don’t. Only time will tell."
"We still worry about the possibility of Malakai relapsing and having to go through casting, further surgeries and the boots and the bar into his teen/adult years."
Boy, 11, with fear of heights sets new record with 10,000ft skydive
An 11-year-old has set a new record for a youngest 10,000ft skydive - taking the title from his own aunt.
Tyler Love became the youngest person from Scotland ever to complete a 10k feet tandem dive - despite being afraid of heights.
And he took the record from his aunt Tammi, now 29, which she has held for the last 15 years - having done her jump when she was 14.
Tyler, from Bo’ness, has now become the youngest person from Scotland to do a 10,000ft tandem parachute jump.
Skydiving runs in the family - his mum Kerri Anderson is also a keen skydiver and a qualified solo jumper.
Tyler’s grandad Tom Anderson is set to make his 1000th jump this weekend and gran Lynn has also done a tandem skydive.
Tyler begged Kerri to be allowed to make the leap so she booked a surprise trip to Denmark, where kids under 16 are allowed to tandem skydive.
They were accompanied by Kerri’s partner Nathan Pope, another qualified skydiver, and his daughter Grace, twelve, who also took the plunge.
Tyler and Grace also raised over £1,200 for charity with the leap.
Kerri said: “My partner and I both skydive, and the kids watch us skydive most weekends.
“They’d been talking for a while about wanting to do it themselves.
“In the UK, you have to be 16 to skydive in any form. We did some research and found out that in Denmark, it’s a bit different.
“We found a drop zone in Denmark, booked it, and then told the kids – they were really excited!
“After we’d booked it, Tyler mentioned that he’d like to do it for charity and raise some money.
“People were really eager donate, and were writing well-wishes, so we went through all the messages with Tyler and Grace.”
Despite the excitement, 11-year-old Tyler was still scared of heights – and the family were nervous that he wouldn’t make the jump at all.
However, once they took to the air, Tyler pushed past his fear and completed the jump – phoning his Aunty Tammi, 29, when he hit the ground to let her know he’d claimed the title.
“My sister did a tandem skydive when she was 14 – she was the youngest in Scotland until Tyler did his,” said Kerri.
“Everybody’s been buzzing – we didn’t know if he was going to jump. Tyler has always been scared of heights, so everybody was impressed that he’d jumped.
“The first thing Tyler did when he landed was phone his Aunty Tammi and say, ‘I’ve beaten your record!'
“I think that beating the record was what pushed him to do it.
"I’m very pleased – I don’t know if my sister is though!”
Tyler and Grace’s jump raised over £1,200, which the family will split between local food banks and children’s charities.
“The kids were originally aiming for £200 – we’re now over £1,200 and we can’t believe it,” said Kerri.
“Tyler’s done me, the family, and most of all, himself proud.
“He’s overcome a fear and I’m really proud that he went ahead with it – and that he wanted to do it for charity.
“Now the kids know that they’ve got that in them, and I’m really proud of them – they’re amazing people.”
Brave girl badly burned by firework warns other kids of the dangers
A brave ten-year-old girl who needed a skin graft after she was hit by a firework is warning other kids of the dangers of Bonfire Night.
Rosie May, 10, went to a Bonfire Night celebration where she was hit by a stray firework which left her with severe burns.
She was rushed to A&E and kept in hospital for over a month but has suffered a permanent neck injury.
This week she went into her local school to give a talk on fire and firework safety.
Her mum, Eleanor Mason, 34, said: "We were terrified when she was hit, and didn't know what would happen to her, but seeing her overcome it makes me so proud of her."
Eleanor Mason took Rosie and her son Christian, 12, over to a friend's house in Cwmbran, South Wales, to celebrate Bonfire Night in 2017.
Eleanor said: “We went over for a get-together to see some fireworks.
"Everything was being done safely and responsibly, we had a bucket of water on hand, sand, and were all a safe distance apart.
“But then a multi-shoot firebox was lit and one didn’t shoot straight, it went off at an angle and shot off in Rosie’s direction.”
The firework hit Rosie, May who was only four at the time, in the front of her neck.
“I rushed over terrified to see if she was ok.
“She had a scarf and hood on which caught fire, I was panicking.
“We patted her down, got her inside the house and stripped her out her clothes immediately.
Eleanor phoned 999 where she was told by paramedics to put Rosie in a cold bath immediately and douse her in the water.
Paramedics told us to put her in bath, douse her in water
“Once they got to the house she was rushed to A&E at Royal Gwent hospital in Newport,” Eleanor said.
“It was horrible, it looked like a scene from Casualty.”
Rosie was blue-lighted to Morriston hospital in Swansea on the same evening for burns treatment, arriving at around 10pm.
Eleanor, a support worker, said: “I knew from my first aid training that if someone is screaming, the chances are they ok, but Rosie was silent, she just wanted to hold me
“I was in total shock, it was a big scary thing for a little girl.”
Rosie was kept in hospital for five weeks, where she had to be put under anaesthetic and have her neck wound meticulously cleaned.
Surgeons then performed a skin graft on her, using skin from her scalp due to its similar pigmentation.
She came out of hospital with full head and neck bandages.
Once she was back home, Eleanor and husband James had to clean her wound and redress it for months on end in the bath.
Eleanor said: “It was quite traumatic for her, even a year after she was reluctant to get into bath without being bribed!”
"We were regularly back and forth for hospital checkups, even now we still have check-ups, once every couple of years.
Thankfully, the damage to Rosie was purely cosmetic, but her mum says it has also taken a toll on her mentally.
Eleanoor said: “She’s been so good about it, she’s so resilient.
“She’s also had counselling, just to give her the tools that she needs to fully put it behind her.
“We now go bowling on bonfire night instead.”
Both mum and daughter are now ambassadors for the Children’s Burns Trust, while Rosie even goes into schools to talk about fire and firework safety.
Eleanor said: “She has turned a negative into a positive thing to help others who have been through similar things, we are so proud of her.”
Deputy Chief Fire Officer Chris Bigland of Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service gave his top tips for enjoying bonfire night safely.
- The safest way to enjoy bonfire night is to go to an organised event
- Alcohol and fireworks don’t mix
- Have exclusion zones around bonfires
- Have someone there who is solely focussed on safety
- Make sure you have a bucket of water nearby any big fire
- Don’t let a fire get too large
- If you are setting off fireworks, ensure you follow the correct procedure as outlined on the packaging
Bonfire Night - or Guy Fawkes night - is traditionally held on November 5.
"I have been barefoot for over a decade"
Meet the man who doesn't own a pair of shoes after going barefoot for more than a decade - even when walking around mountains.
Robin Greenfield, 37, was inspired to ditch his trainers in 2008 when he joined a university trip travelling across New Zealand and noticed one of his course leaders walking around barefoot.
Robin was "intrigued" and started walking barefoot with him - which he said was a "natural draw and felt amazing".
From 2011, Robin went barefoot full-time and started strolling around the supermarket, the high street and even mountains without any footwear.
Robin often has to bandage up his own feet due to standing on glass but that hasn't put him off.
Robin said he spends most of his year barefooted but will put on a pair of shoes when he needs to - if it is snowing or a low temperature.
He also carries a pair of shoes around with him in case he goes somewhere that requires footwear but will often avoid those places as he prefers to be barefooted.
Robin said his feet don't hurt often but he can sometimes get thorns or glass stuck in his foot and said the worst surface to walk on are allies in the city.
Now, Robin is using his experience going barefoot to teach others how to embrace his unconventional lifestyle.
Robin, an environmental activist, from Asheville, North Carolina, US, said: "I started walking barefoot and I loved it.
"It felt excellent - it was a very natural draw.
"I don't recall a time having a particular reason except that it felt right. I wanted to go barefoot, and I did it.
"By being barefoot in public spaces, I am often the only one.
"I went to a festival last weekend where there were 5,000 people.
"I didn't see a single other person that was barefoot, and I had hundreds of people looking at my feet."
Robin owned just one pair of shoes for three years but got rid of his last pair six months ago and has yet to replace them.
Often he will decide to go with a pair of socks for comfort and warmth.
Robin said he often faces strange looks from people but said he would never go back to wearing shoes.
He said: "It took me years to overcome social norms or stigma - still today I receive some.
"A few years ago, I was walking barefoot in downtown Glendale, California.
"It is a very fancy area, and I could see people in their thousand-dollar clothes looking at me like I was nothing.
"People look down on me a lot, people often assume I am homeless. Their perception is I am down and out, and I have no other choices.
"But the benefit of that is it keeps me humble, I got rid of my last business clothes around eight years ago because I don't to impress people with my clothes.
"I start at the bottom for a lot of people, and I like that.
"I want to be humble, and it is a practice of humility to be barefoot."
Robin said his family were "understanding," but some relatives were "concerned" about what he was doing.
He said: "They were concerned about my future and if I was making choices that were going to create success and such.
"But also, supportive?. The Greenfield's - we're a small family and we're all weirdos in one way or another.
"We're all unique, none of us fit into the societal norms and so I got a lot of support.
"My mum and dad - I am the thing they are most proud of in their whole entire life."
Robin says he loves people look at him strangely and ask him questions about why he is barefoot - as it allows him to educate people on why he is doing it.
He said: "For me, being barefoot is an opportunity to reach people at any moment, with every step that I take to break outside societal norm.
"Normal is destroying normality and by continuing the status quo we are leading to the demise of humanity.
"Everywhere I go, I am creating opportunities to shake people up, to stir people up.
"I love for people to ask me why I am barefoot. I love for people to look at me as it gives me the opportunity to reach people."
Robin has now launched Barefoot School where he teaches people why and how to be barefoot and learn how to love their feet.
The first session took place in Asheville, North Carolina, US, in July 2023 with around 40 attendees.
Robin said: "It was a weekend of reconnecting with the earth through being barefoot as well as foraging, spending time in the woods and connecting with communities.
"Being barefoot was the centre of the school but it was a gateway of reconnecting which is a big part of being barefoot."
TOP TIPS FOR GOING BAREFOOT
- Start on easier terrain
- Work up to some more challenging terrain
- Don’t push yourself beyond your limits
- Know that some cuts and scratches are ok
- Break free from societal norms
- Design your life around being barefoot
