There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope

Allison - fairview, Texas
Entered on February 10, 2010

I love flip flops. Flip flops are just those type of shoes that you just throw on to go anywhere, the grocery store, the mall, school, or even to the beach. They are my ultimate choice in shoe, and although many believe that flip flops are inappropriate for the occasion or simply unpractical, it is for those reasons that I wear them. Not for the intention of rebellion but I wear them because they represent who I am. They represent simplicity and the freedom of being who you want to be at all times. I believe in wearing flip flops all year round, especially in winter.

Every choice you make reflects your character. From the food you choose to eat to the shoes that you put on each morning. I hate tennis shoes with a passion. They constrict your feet, don’t let them get the air they need, and they make your feet smell terrible. Flip flops were created as a casual, laid back style of shoe that let your feet take in all the fresh air and breathe it deeply. I like to think that is who I strive to be as well. Flip flops represent who I am because I loved that relaxed feeling that I get when its summertime and I can wiggle my toes in my shoes. It is the feeling of freedom. Freedom from stress, worry and school (basically all one in the same). So why not get that feeling all year round? Wearing flip flops in the winter is

quirky, but then again, who isn’t? Sure you’re feet will get cold but you’re really only going to be outside for what, 5 minutes? Hardly enough time for you to get frostbite. I wear my flip flops in the winter because its different. It screams, yeah? I’m wearing flip flops. Yes. I know it’s 30 degrees, and no I don’t care. It is not an act of rebellion, but an act of individuality.

Flip flops are durable. They are reliable. They are strong. They hardly break unless applied with great pressure and are the type of shoe that makes any outfit work. Plus, their super comfortable! Flip flops come in all shapes and colors and with match anything. You can wear them anytime, in the sun, the wind, the rain, and you can even wear flip-flops in the snow. Most other shoes get soaked in water and are almost impossible to dry out but you can always count on your flip flops to be a stress free choice of footwear.

Flip flops have always been my favorite shoe. I wear them everyday in the summer and into the fall, until the day that my mom tells me that they should no longer be a part of my ensemble because it is too cold. I would always laugh because she calls them ‘thongs,’ like they did back in her day. I guess they hadn’t invented the modern meaning of the word yet. But I never wanted to listen to her. Almost every winter since middle school I would always try to get past my mom in the morning when I was leaving the house wearing flip-flops in the winter, but for some reason she knew exactly what I was planning. So I came up with the grand idea of leaving the house in the morning with big warm socks on and some sort of enclosed shoe she would approve of, and then when I arrived at school I would first run to the

nearest bathroom and swap out the warm and comfortable shoes and pull out of my bag my ever so “cool” flip- flops. My mom eventually found out about my schemes and although she didn’t approve, I convinced her that the consequences of wearing “thongs” to school would be on me and that I was old enough and responsible enough to pick out what I would wear on my feet everyday, even if she believes it to be impractical.

Everybody owns a pair of flip-flops, but when winter comes around they think it’s too cold to wear them. It is not fair to neglect the very shoes that had been so faithful to you during the summer, but when it gets a little uncomfortable, you abandon them like you would your that favorite toy from your childhood. Like that toy, they represent a part of you and who you are through their simplistic nature, illustrating you as carefree and happy. Even if your feet are freezing. That is why I believe it is never too cold to wear flip-flops.

(I know that most of our major holidays are out of the way, but I was just thinking about this. It seems that accepting differences is becoming a harder habit in our culture and I was trying to think why that is. Many habits we pick up as kids, and those habits we pick up because we see them in the adults that are a part of our lives. What are our kids and students seeing in us?

If you are in the education program, one of the things you will hear over and over again is that differences in your students is a beautiful thing that needs to be accepted. As future teachers, we will me a variety of students every single day in every single classroom. We will have students who think differently, look different, react in different ways, learn differently, believe in different things… so many things. But these differences will create a beautiful classroom community that is unique to each room. All of these differences NEED to be accepted. If a child feels that  their differences are not accepted… how are they going to feel comfortable enough to be apart of the classroom. If they feel that their ideas are not important, will they ever share
them. Will we make our students feel dejected because they are different from us? Will we let other students reject their peers. Our answer should be NO!

For the past couple years, the issue of religion in the classroom has been a hot topic, especially around the holiday season. There are so many different views about this time of year. In my moms 3rd grade classroom, that the school has told them that they are only allowed to hang “WInter” symbols and decorations up and talk about that season only. No Christmas, Hanukkah, Quanza, winter solstice… or anything else is to be discussed, taught, are acknowledged.

Now I know that all people celebrate and don’t celebrate in their own ways, but rejecting all in the classroom is basically telling a child that “Sorry, your difference, your belief, isn’t important and we’re not going to talk about it.” In the past, all religious views and non religious views were taught about this time of year. That way, everyone was accepted and able to participate and everyone’s differences were acknowledged.

But because of parents causing uproars about their children learning about things that are different, all differences have been wiped out and erased. I don’t know about you, but this really makes me mad. I celebrate Christmas and Christ’s birth, but I accept what others believe about this time of year and would gladly teach all practices in my classroom. That is how we build up students/people who are accepting of others. We have to model the change and characterstics we want to see… erasing them is not the answer, it’s a death sentence.