Hi, everybody. Today I want to talk about something very near and dear to my heart and, I daresay, the hearts of hundreds of students who attend our fair university.
I am, of course, referring to shoes.
Don’t you love shoes? I know I can’t see a pair of retro heels without my heart going a-flutter, and I’m not alone. I’m not just talking to you ladies, either. I see you men with your shiny Converse and hip-hop duds, or even those wonderful, dependable, comfortable work boots. Don’t be afraid to say it: you love your shoes.
How do you feel in your favorite shoes? When your feet are fitted with prettiness? Since my favorite shoes are my brown suede flower pumps, I feel confident. Others feel capable or beautiful or just plain comfy. I’m with you there, friends. I totally understand.
Then, of course, there are people who look down on your shoes. Yes, I’m talking to you, Mikael, Mr. Hating-On-People-Who-Wear-Uggs. Some people look at your favorite shoes and say “Ew.”
Maybe they’re not even your favorite shoes. I know that when I worked in the af last year, I had to wear work shoes and felt like a clown. I also got weird-shoe-looks. “OMG, what’s with your stupid shoes? They look a size too big and smell like old French fries.”
How would you feel if someone looked down on your shoes? What if they weren’t your favorites, and you were just wearing them because you had to, or they were your only pair?
Okay, guys, I lied. I don’t want to talk about shoes today; I want to talk about perspective.
It’s really easy in college to become very selfish. Suddenly, free of the constraints of family responsibility and parental expectations, we slowly turn our focus more and more inward. All this talk of finding ourselves in college, of really seeing who we are…a lot of that happens because we’re only looking at ourselves.
I’m not hating on introspection. I can respect that. It’s important to know who you are. But I think it’s more important to know who others are. The second greatest commandment isn’t “Know Thyself,” guys.
So the next time you see the smelly, stinky shoes of that weird kid that makes you feel superior, try on his shoes for a while. See how it feels.
I don’t mean that literally. That’d be weird.