^^
39.
Every mother and father wants to raise a child with a strong moral character. We want our children to know good from bad, and right from wrong. We hope they’ll learn to behave morally and ethically, and grow up to be honest and considerate. In short, we want our children to develop a conscience―a powerful inner voice that will keep them on the right path. But a conscience does not develop by itself, so the job of building one is ours. It’s a process parents need to work on day after day, and year after year. We need to constantly distinguish right from wrong, and to model appropriate behavior. Eventually, our children will fully accept our messages, and they will become the essence of their character.
40.
Footwear has a history which goes back thousands of years, and it has long been an article of necessity.
The earliest footwear was undoubtedly born of the necessity to provide some protection when moving over rough ground in varying weather conditions. In ancient times, as today, the basic type of shoes worn depended on the climate.
For instance, in warmer areas the sandal was, and still is, the most popular form of footwear, whereas the modern moccasin derives from the original shoes adopted in cold climates by races such as Eskimos and Siberians.
Shoes have not always served such a purely functional purpose, however, and the requirements of fashion have dictated some curious designs, not all of which made walking easy.
41.
The story starts in the world of Homer, where the stormy skies and the dark seas were ruled by the mythical gods. Every advance in human understanding since then has been made by brave individuals daring to step into the unknown darkness and to break free from accepted ways of thinking. Most of those steps were small and difficult, but a few were brilliant and beautiful. As Gustave Flaubert wrote, “Among those who go to sea there are the explorers who discover new worlds, adding continents to the Earth and stars to the heavens; they are the masters, the great, the eternally shining.” It is those explorers, through their unceasing trial and error, who have paved the way for us to follow.
