As I was leaving class one hot summer night, there they were-a pair of black shoes left alone on a bench. This foot apparel looked like medium height heels, black leather with see through slots. I thought:
“ Who could have left them ? “
Did the wearer of the shoes just have tired feet and thus discarded them ? Was it accidental or intentional that the shoes were left there?
I also wondered what type of person wore these shoes . Was it a professional person, a student, possibly a homeless person -given the neighborhood of the school ?
The clothes and the shoes we wear can tell you a lot about the person. Are they conscientious, fastidious about how they look or is there a more casual attitude about their appearance ?
One can also wonder where have these shoes been ? Where has the person walked in these shoes- to home, work, school, church, travel or perhaps to court ?
If you walk in the sand, you leave footprints. All of us are leaving footprints, leaving our own imprint on the world. The question that can be raised is
“What type of imprint do you want to leave ?”
“ What type of appearance do you want to convey ? “
Many people live their lives at such a fast and furious pace that these questions never get a chance to be asked, let alone examined.
Recently, I attended a meeting at a rural church, one that featured an adjacent cemetery. I arrived early, and so I wandered through one section of the cemetery looking at the headstones. I passed some plots where those who were buried died in their late teens, some expired in their 50’s, others in their 60’s.
What I noticed is that with some of the grave markers, there were personal mementos that were left- pottery, a ceramic tractor, toys, pictures. The display reminded me very much of the familial displays you will see during the Día de los Muertos celebration usually held in late October.
As I walked through the cemetery, I thought about what are we leaving behind ? I also considered what can we do to live our lives more fully with the time that we have been given ?
Again, I think back to the pair of shoes left on the bench outside the school building. When I passed the same spot a day later, the shoes were gone.
What kind of foot steps are we making in life ?
Are others following us and walking in our direction ?
Shoes are important to keep our feet safe and in condition.
May we always be conscious about taking the right steps in life now and always.
May it be so.