Shoeless Summer

Please watch the 3 minute video:

http://www.11alive.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=84301143001

Some say that shoes describe and/or characterize a person. I wonder what is said about the person who has no access to shoes or cannot afford to purchase any?

I remember the summer of 1982. It was hot! We were living on James Avenue, The New Projects of Thomasville, North Carolina. Momma could not afford to purchase us (Shirley Jean, Clinton Tyrone, and Brian Eugene) shoes so she did the next best thing: She went to Family Dollar and purchased us some flip flops. Remember these: http://smartleah.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/haveana-flipflop-gold.jpg? We wore them all summer with no complainants. No lip! We had no reason to give any lip! We enjoyed having our feet exposed. Back then we had no concept of our poverty. We were happy kids like most Old and New Project kids.

In some parts of the world kids drastically need shoes,

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j270/JohnnyGunn/Cush194011_IN_Indiana_Farm_Children.jpg

Brian E. Payne sharing.