what is the significance of ralph watching his feet and thinking about the path we take in life?

Yes, I rather like this quote. It goes something like, "much of life is an improvisation and about how a considerable part of one's waking life is spent watching ones feet." Ralph is understanding the difference between the illusions the boys want and reality. t this young age, Ralph sees the how people are not what they pretend to be and that trust is in short order. Ralph discovers that, in politics, manipulation is key and much time must be spent watching ones back.