A day in their... bare feet

I didn't sleep.
I was working on an Analysis all night, so I was already barefoot a couple hours prior to midnight, but as I packed up my TOMS and protectively carried them with me to the car, I wondered what the day would bring.
Interestingly enough, the weirdest moment I had was stepping outside my door. Normally, walking out my door shoeless means nothing to me, ask anyone. But that day, it was different. Feeling the cold cement under my toes, breathing the dew-drenched air... I felt unyielding to any discouragement that might come.
I had a speech that day. Unfortunately, because I was up all night doing my paper, I didn't have it all ironed out. Had I done my speech on my original subject, I probably could have gotten by with fudging my way through it, even though I was unprepared. But last night I purposed in my heart to change topics and do my speech over "Podoconiosis" also known as "Elephantiasis". This disease was what I was fighting against, and what better day to spread the news about it than on the day I'm fighting against it?
For those who don't know, Podoconiosis is a terrible disease that quite literally bloats your foot to such a deformity that it looks like an elephant's. It becomes hardened and the nerves die. It is prominent in many third-world countries where the residents live and farm on volcanic land. The silica particles get into the pores on their feet and stay there... eventually developing into symptoms such as itching, burning, and swelling on the sole of the foot. Over time it will move up the leg, usually no further than the knee, until the whole foot is effected. There are treatments for the problem, but the greatest solution, and easiest, is to wear shoes!!! How crazy is it that we live in the day and age where it's still too expensive and hard for someone to get something on their feet!??!!?

http://www.isradiology.org/tropical_deseases/tmcr/chapter26/clinical19.htm

Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox. ...But ya, I was able to tell my whole speech class about it, along with kids in my other classes who asked me where my shoes were. Like I said, I had taken my TOMS <3 with me in case I was ordered to "get some shoes on" (which I wasn't). I would tell them that "they're over there," pointing to the shoe box, and explain about the TOMS ONE DAY WITHOUT SHOES event. One kid thought I was just not wearing them in class.
"Man that would suck if you didn't have shoes all day, going in the parking lot, on gravel..." he said.
I just smiled at him and replied, "Ya, that's what I'm doing."
Overall, It was a successful day. I spread the news for shoes... though I still wonder,.... What did I really do? Besides telling a few college age kids (who are still more absorbed with themselves than you can shake a stick at), about something they can't even begin to understand... What did I do?
I guess all I can do is pray that it made a difference to someone. I started praying for the people over in Ethiopia and such, that God would provide a cure soon... perhaps one day I'll be able to be there and REALLY help.

Till then I'll walk with my Canvas-shod feet, one in front of the other, remembering the day I went a day without them... for the sake of someone else.