Natural Soul by Naturalizer -Kassandra, Black

Buongiorno, amici!

With such an auspicious time in our nation’s history, the second inauguration of President Obama, the occasion certainly gives one cause to reflect; looking back we see how far we have come, and looking forward, how far we have yet to go.   As the President looked out among the throngs who braved the cold to witness an event that has occurred only one other time in history, he simultaneously looked back into the past; down the National Mall at the monuments erected to the Americans who left an indelible impression on the nation as they wrote the course of history while they lived: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and the most recent addition, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr..  The last seemed most befitting, especially on the day designated to honor the incredible life of the late Dr. King.

And if you are one of those who have had the privilege to see this monument, you stand before it in awe and you’re inspired; awe, because you see the metaphorical image before you –Dr. King emerging from the stone that was the struggle, Dr. King standing up against tyranny and oppression, and Dr. King standing at the doorway ready to take that next step into unknown territory, ever mindful of what would inevitably occur, yet bound by a cause greater than the man himself; and one can’t help but feel inspired, for it was the standing up by this great man which led others to stand by his cause, it was standing his ground which ended standing in lines of inequality, and for a man who didn’t stand a chance, in a divided nation which stood still and often found it easier to stand aside than to stand up, his life stands as a testament.

What do you stand for?  Are you at a standstill?   Do you stand on the sidelines or stand out in a crowd?  Will you take a stand or quietly stand down?  Is today the day you stand up and be counted, stand and deliver or remain a bystander?  In this day of stand-offs, when it is far to easy to stand for nothing, it would stand to reason that we as a nation have forgotten what it means to stand on one’s own two feet, and have forgotten how to stand by someone or stand up for someone, preferring to stand someone up; standing back out of fear of standing fast or standing firm. Dr. King’s words stand the test of time and we understand impact he has made.  We stand on the cusp of humanity’s greatest moments, and today as you put on your shoes and stand, I ask you, what do you stand for?

Stella Notte

Day 304: Tuesday January 22nd 2013
Designer: Natural Soul by Naturalizer
Name: Kassandra
Color: Black
Style: Slip-On Flats
Heel: 1.25 inches (3.18 cm)
Material: Leather Upper with contrast Moccasin stitching detail at toe and woven leather on vamp

Beautiful in any color; click here to see these beauties in Red Pepper!