These Shoes Feel Weird

Mary Torrans Lathrap...if that name doesn't ring a bell, you're not alone.

There is however a very famous excerpt of her work which has evolved into a phrase we've all heard at some point in our lives, "Before you judge a person, walk a mile in their shoes."

Mary T. Lathrap lived in a different time. She wore different clothes, had different problems and she even ate very different food. However should she walk a mile down the streets of any city this week, she may find it necessary to begin handing out copies of her poem "Judge Softly" from which the famous idiom originated:

Judge Softly

A Poem by Mary T. Lathrap

Pray, don’t find fault with the man that limps,

Or stumbles along the road.

Unless you have worn the moccasins he wears,

Or stumbled beneath the same load.

There may be tears in his soles that hurt

Though hidden away from view.

The burden he bears placed on your back

May cause you to stumble and fall, too.

Don’t sneer at the man who is down today

Unless you have felt the same blow

That caused his fall or felt the shame

That only the fallen know.

You may be strong, but still the blows

That were his, unknown to you in the same way,

May cause you to stagger and fall, too.

Don’t be too harsh with the man that sins.

Or pelt him with words, or stone, or disdain.

Unless you are sure you have no sins of your own,

And it’s only wisdom and love that your heart contains.

For you know if the tempter’s voice

Should whisper as soft to you,

As it did to him when he went astray,

It might cause you to falter, too.

Just walk a mile in his moccasins

Before you abuse, criticize and accuse.

If just for one hour, you could find a way

To see through his eyes, instead of your own muse.

I believe you’d be surprised to see

That you’ve been blind and narrow-minded, even unkind.

There are people on reservations and in the ghettos

Who have so little hope, and too much worry on their minds.

Brother, there but for the grace of God go you and I.

Just for a moment, slip into his mind and traditions

And see the world through his spirit and eyes

Before you cast a stone or falsely judge his conditions.

Remember to walk a mile in his moccasins

And remember the lessons of humanity taught to you by your elders.

We will be known forever by the tracks we leave

In other people’s lives, our kindnesses and generosity.

Take the time to walk a mile in his moccasins.

Recruiting is a unique profession. By its nature, we are exposed to people from all walks of life; their stories and troubles, their successes and goals. We have the privilege of learning from each candidate and client we meet should we desire to do so.

In my short time in this profession, I hope Mary Lathrap would be pleased with the amount of "shoes" I've tried to walked in...so to speak.

And sometimes, man do these shoes feel weird.

When we challenge ourselves to see things from another perspective, it does feel weird. When we learn about challenges that others face for which we cannot personally relate, it feels weird.

When it feels weird, dig deeper. Dig until you understand why it feels so strange.

We have to accept that our personal perspectives on most things in life are not absolute. To grow and enact change we must adjust our mindset, we must welcome new ideas and experiences.

We will be known forever by the tracks we leave; In other people’s lives, our kindnesses and generosity.

One shoe at a time.