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Written by David M Deci
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Wednesday, 09 January 2008 03:35 |
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The old adage has always been "...to know and understand me, you need to walk a mile in my shoes." But what about those who walk miles in other people's shoes, not by choice, but by necessity? Last night on Street Rounds we encountered a young man who followed a friend here from New Orleans and now is stranded without clothing, shoes, money or transportation. In an attempt to protect his feet from the cold and damp of a Morgantown winter, he had "found a pair of boots" that were at least serving the purpose despite the fact that they were too small and worn out. Through a heavy fog of inebriation, he talked about many things including his plans to hop a freight train to Arizona in search of better weather. When offered a pair of new boots and socks, he immediately launched into an expletive filled tirade of praise for our generosity. As we sat down together on the pavement to take off his old boots, one could easily see that his feet were dirty, macerated and blistered. Just having his very own, well fitting shoes, seemed to make the biggest difference in this man's outlook on life. Maybe the best lesson learned is that we all need to do a better job of walking through life in our own shoes... Dave Deci
Morgantown, WV
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