As a lesson in empathy it’s often said: Before you judge a man, walk in his shoes. Episode 16 did just that for me, it forced me to step into the shoes of someone with an addition disease. While I’ve listen to all of Diary of a Nation’s podcasts this is was the most impactful. I’ve had friends, past employees and acquaintances that suffered from addiction yet after listening to this podcast I realized I never really understood the struggle, the pain, the sorrow that comes with addiction. I looked at it as selfish, as a choice, not as a disease. Though I thought I’d been empathetic in the past now know I was not. Empathy is the ability to understand or feel what another is experiencing from within their frame of reference, the capacity to place oneself in another’s position. Christina’s skillful questioning brought out Katie’s experience in such a way that I felt genuine empathy and an understanding for addiction that I never felt before. I felt I walked in Katie’s shoes. It was a very raw story. Very real. Very eye opening.
This is but one of the podcasts I’ve enjoyed by Christina. I’ve yet to be disappointed or end a podcast before finishing. This, I’ll say, is the only podcast I’ve ever listened to twice, back-to-back. Katie is very articulate. Unlike a lot of addiction stories this has a happy ending. Well done. Well done.
I’ll end with comedian Steve Martin’s spin on walking in someone else’s shoes:
Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do criticize him, you'll be a mile away and have his shoes.
:)
