Last week, Jenny shared with me an event that she was very excited about… “One Day Without Shoes 2010” sponsored by TOMS. Today, Thursday, April 8th, is a day to go without shoes to “raise awareness about the impact a simple pair of shoes can have on a child’s life.” This is a global event and is present on Facebook and Twitter as well as through the TOMS website, and Jenny was so moved by this simple act that she invited her friends at school to participate in not wearing shoes today.
Please take a few minutes to read about the event and why it’s important…
“One Day Without Shoes 2010“.
I understand that being a school administrator these days is a difficult job. You’re not allowed to use common sense (having Advil is considered having drugs) and you have to follow so many silly rules. There are liability issues too, I’m sure. Jenny called me with great disappointment in her voice this morning saying that the school administrators were not allowing the kids to go barefoot at school today in support of this event. Kids caught barefoot would be given a referral and it would be put on their record. So I took Jenny some shoes.
Wouldn’t it be refreshing if just once someone in charge took a stand and said, “Let’s all take off our shoes!” followed by a dramatic flipping off of heels across the room? No, we must condition our forward-thinking children to be cattle and follow the herd. You mustn’t break the rules, you mustn’t question authority. It’s just a frustrating example of the condition of our society. There isn’t even any wiggle room for a negotiated happy medium such as going barefoot during class but wearing shoes while walking in between classes. Oy vay.
I’m still proud of my sweet Jenny for making a statement and attempting to raise awareness for something we all take for granted. Do you know that some of her peers were so derisive of her support that they brought two pairs of shoes to school today to counteract her statement? There is so much wrong with that I don’t even know where to start.
