You always know when you need another pair of shoes. Less than a year old, these sneakers have seen better days. They’ve put on a lot of miles, done a lot of outdoor work and earned their keep many times over.
Stitching at the toes and bending points threaten to break but I procrastinated buying a new pair because I like the comfort, feel and support. When I finally went to the store to get a pair, they don’t have the style anymore. I really HATE shopping. Now it’s time to try another pair and hope they work out. Walking in a new pair of shoes can be good, bad or both for a while…they’re just not the same.
Our feet aren’t the same as they were a year ago and neither are we. The roller-coaster ride called life changes us. We’re not who we were when we were 15, 25 or even a year ago. We, like our shoes, have seen good and bad and we’ve weathered the storms. Like we’ve exchanged our old shoes for new ones, we’ve probably exchanged our views, outlooks and opinions along the way, too. We are not the same person who walked in those old shoes.
I wonder if we ‘walk’ in another’s ‘shoes’ to gain a different perspective on an opinion or stance that may differ from ours.
Like the difference between walking in sneakers, boots and high-heels, walking in another’s shoes varies over time. Imagine trying to wear the shoes you had when you were a baby! Like outgrown shoes, opinions and views most likely have changed and they’re not what they once were. Decisions and judgments we’ve made before may not fit our lives today. While we may want to hold onto the old comfortable sneakers and viewpoints made in the past, letting them go offers a freedom to grow, start anew and move forward. Imagine having the freedom to get rid of your old shoes and finding a pair that better suit your feet today.
