“Before you criticize a person, walk a mile in their shoes.”
As sayings go, it’s a classic. It’s one of the many axioms we absorb into our heads early on in life, right up there with “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and “those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”.
Like those other sayings, it’s a caution against judging or deriding others, but it’s also an invitation to better understand them.
We might think we have all the answers, but how often is that true? If we’re being honest with ourselves, most of us have enough trouble keeping our own lives, goals and dreams on track, without butting our noses into someone else’s attempts to do the same.
The truth is, you can never know exactly what life is like for another person. It’s difficult with those closest to us, and it’s downright impossible with people we don’t know.
But empathy demands we try to at least understand what others are going through, and to help if we can.
All of which brings us to last week’s Walk A Mile In Her Shoes event, held at the Athabasca Riverfront. A national event, it’s an opportunity for men to strap on high heels and strut their stuff with the goal of raising awareness for the fight against gender violence.
The local event, which raised almost $8,000 for the Athabasca and Area Prevention of Relationship Abuse Action Committee (PRAAC) was a big success both in raising said funds and, hopefully, in raising awareness as well.
Gender violence, rape and sexual assault continue to plague male and female relationships around the world. The need for shelter and support groups for women trying to escape such harmful situations remains prevalent, at home and abroad.
Psycho-analysts can spend (and have spent) years trying to explain why men would be violent towards women with whom they are in a relationship. Thankfully it’s not something every man is capable of, but even so, it remains far too common an occurrence.
Whatever the reason behind this negative trend, the men who take part in these Walk A Mile events, and those who pledge money and support to the cause, are worthy of respect for doing what they can to bring it to an end.
A line of men walking down the street in high heels (and maybe even dresses) may just be cause for a quick moment of curiosity and a chuckle from those passing by, but the meaning behind the event runs deeper than that.
It’s a literal attempt by men to support women, both those they know and love and those they will never meet. It’s a way of saying that, while we don’t know what you’re going through, we’re here to help.
You might say that human nature will never change, and these issues will never go away. Perhaps they won’t. But that won’t stop men from getting up and walking.
