The Dao of Schythe

Scythes remind me of how much the movie
“Children of the Corn” scared the crap out of
me as a kid.

All joking aside, thanks for sharing the video.
Simple living, divorced from society’s frenetic pace
is a wonder more should explore.

Notice the motion the people make when they are
“scything”. I bet they have STRONG kidneys.
Not to mention that in such a peaceful environment
they have little to fear.

S

That I didn’t notice . . .

HOWEVER: I don’t think being barefoot is such a good idea.

REASON:
There are parasites that live in soil and can enter
your body easily through the feet if you are barefoot.

Some of these parasitic infections can be life-long and
nearly impossible to get rid of, aside from having major
health repercussions.

EXAMPLES:

Hookworms:

“While A. duodenale can be ingested, the usual method
of infection is through the skin; this is commonly
caused by walking barefoot through areas
contaminated with fecal matter.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hookworm

Threadworm

“The infectious larvae penetrate the skin when
there is contact with the soil. While S. stercoralis
is attracted to chemicals such as carbon dioxide
or sodium chloride, these chemicals are very non-specific.
Larvae have been thought to locate their hosts via
chemicals in the skin, predominantly urocanic acid,
a histidine metabolite on the uppermost layer
of skin that is removed by sweat or the daily
skin-shedding cycle. [8] Urocanic acid concentrations
can be up to five times greater in the foot than
any other part of the human body.”

“Once a host is infected with S. stercoralis,
infection is life-long unless effective treatment
eliminates all adult parasites and migrating
autoinfective larvae.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strongyloides_stercoralis

Check out the wikipedia links for pictures of these
critters and more info.

“Many mass deworming programs also combine their efforts
with a public health education. These health education programs
often stress important preventative techniques
such as: always wearing shoes, washing your hands before eating,
and staying away from water/areas contaminated by human feces.”

S