In my shoes

This phrase or versions of this phrase have me thinking lately. A friend is having major troubles so I was thinking "What would I do if I were in her shoes?" Well then I got to thinking, what I would do would be totally different than what she is doing or what she might do.

Then of course, because I can't stop it, I started thinking about this.... "Walk a mile in my shoes." Well I got to thinking isn't this kind of like Cinderalla's shoes? Let me explain.... The glass slippers only fit on her foot so me thinks that even if we could "walk a mile" in someone else's shoes, they just wouldn't fit right because we would be bringing our own experiences and perspectives with us. Meaning, we wouldn't react the way he, she or they would act and therefore what they see has horrible, the worst thing ever. We might see as easy or not so bad because maybe we have experienced worse or are just able to handle more.

And while I do understand the phrase, at the same time, you just have to wonder...... What would it be like to walk in someone else's shoes? What would we really, truly see/feel?