A mile in someone else's shoes

Today- is a funny day. I decided I would try and look presentable this week, since I have failed to do so for sometime now at work. I tried yesterday and it went over well, so I figured I would at least keep it up for the week. This means: actually fixing my hair, pretty makeup, and a cute outfit. The part about fixing my hair- man I love my locks- but getting up to fix it isn't a top priority of mine. Actually getting up and getting out of the bed takes more precedence. Not today though- or yesterday.

Today- I decided to wear my new gray fitted dress, straighten my hair, and highlight my eyes with my favorite color of blue. I did all of this. Then I found myself in my closet looking at all my shoes and deciding that I had little time to make a decision- so I put on my black flats and decided I looked too winterish for spring and then put on my favorite denim peep toe ballet stretch flats. Out the door I went and work greeted me at office 120W.

Around 10:15 I get a call from one of my best friends at work, who literally works down the hall from me, asking me if I had some flats she could borrow for jury duty. She failed to read the dress code memo and wore flip flops. She asked if I could go home and get her some of my shoes, the perk of having a friend wear your same size, and I told her I would. Then she told me she had to be back upstairs in the courthouse by 10:30- and I said- you know what, I will just bring you the shoes I am wearing now.

So, off I went in a hurried drive downtown. I hop the curb, put it in park and both of us are standing there barefoot taking the other's shoes. Quite a site I am sure.

I get back in the car and get back to work. With these new shoes on my feet. And I can already tell that even though we both wear a 9- Amy has either way more arch or way more flat footedness than me. The shoes fit, but there is something uncomfortable about this arch.

Funny- because that motto of walking in a person's shoes before you judge them come complete circle in my mind. Now, I haven't walked a mile. My feet are fine, these shoes aren't awful. But I am reminded of the times when I cast judgement or come to the table with my mind made up about how people are and never once do I give them the benefit of seeing them for what they truly are.

I judge. I am going to make a call that says maybe you do to. It is surely hard to not judge- to not be jealous- and to just love people for where they are. Throughout our days we let racist, sexist, and prejudice remarks not only come from our mouths, but fall deep in our ears. Never defending the weak. Never telling people it isn't ok to talk about someone you really don't know- or gasp, even the people that you do know.

I don't want to be that person. I truly want to make a difference in this world. I really want to make it better than what it is now. So as I sit in my office barefooted, not because of the shoes I traded for, but because it is my office and I hate wearing shoes inside-period, I ponder how you go about being a truly better person and not throwing stereotypes, preconceived notions, prejudices, and a better-than-you-attitude up in the air to fall like hail and hurt others. Maybe that should be my goal for May- to find out how to be a better person and meet people where they are- not where I want them to be.