How not to stumble and fall when wearing another''s shoes

I like to think that I try to be honest, realistic and open-minded. I try to see everyone's point-of-view, try to understand why someone says or does something. Sometimes, what I see makes complete sense to me. At other times I simply don't understand it, not at all.

When  trying to learn from other people, I try to put myself in their shoes and learn from walking a different path than I normally would when wearing my own shoes. Sometimes, the shoes fit very well and walking around in them is a joy. Sometimes, the shoes barely fit and I need to really work at walking in them without falling over.

What matters however is that no matter how impossible it seems to get into someone else's shoes and make walking around in them work; I still try. No matter how many times I trip or fall or bump my little toe, I keep trying until I figure out how to stay standing. Walking may not be easy, running may be impossible, however standing and taking a few small steps - I will keep going until I know that I can, that I've tried, that I've managed.

While I can keep the shoe metaphors going, I would prefer to speak my mind in a simpler fashion - by saying (writing) what I think and feel and experience. I just wish I lived in a world where I felt safe and comfortable doing just that...