You see my shoes,

and you think they might fit you.

You may even wrongly assume

that they had very little wear,

and you could walk much further than a mile.

But my treads are worn,

reduced to a thin layer of rubber,

marred by a life of experience.

Perhaps my shoes are similar to yours,

maybe even close to the same size,

but my shoes will not fit you,

as I expect yours would not feel comfortable on my feet.

This road has been mine to follow,

as your trail was carved out for you.

Conceivably, our winding paths have crossed on purpose,

but your journey is yours, as mine belongs to me.

And as much as you think my shoes will fit,

your feet were meant for your shoes

just as mine were meant for me.

I hope one day we will share a walk,

and our shoes will take many steps together.

And when that day comes,

I hope we walk much further than a mile.

(image credit)