I admit it. I think crocs are ugly. You know, those plastic shoes with the holes in them. An eye sore, really! I cringe a little every time I see someone wearing them. Especially now that they have those little decorations that you add to the holes… it really only makes them worse!
I also think they are stupid. It’s like a shoe trying to be a sandal… or a sandal trying to be a shoe. It’s never made sense to me… if you want to enjoy a cool breeze on your feet, you don’t poke a bunch of holes in your shoe…just wear sandals!
Unfortunately, crocs scored some major points in my book today. Here in Malaybalay, the physical needs at the children’s home are a lot greater than I have seen in Manila. Earlier this week, three of the kids went without shoes for a couple days because their cheap sandals break so easily in this construction zone that surrounds their home. Two of those kids “fixed” their sandals by hammering a 2 inch nail through the strap and into the base. The only problem is that the sandal is only a half an inch deep, meaning that over 1 inch of the nail is sticking out. Not a very good solution if you ask me!
So Mama Belin and I went into town to look for some sandals for those kids whose sandals broke this week… Eric, Gigi, Roxanne, and Joshua. As we went into the store I knew that I wanted to find them something nicer than your typical sandal. The cheap plastic ones that these kids are used to break within one to two weeks, especially with all this mud they play in! So as I’m looking around at the different options, I see a little pair of crocs.
My typical reaction in this situation would normally be one of disgust. Stupid crocs! But as soon as I saw them I knew right away that these were the best option. They don’t have the thin plastic straps that easily break, and they are sturdier for playing in the mud and construction area that currently surrounds the home.
Immediately we started trying them on the three kids we had with us. Pastor Larry took the car back to the orphanage and picked up the rest of the kids. In less than an hour, and about 20 dollars later, 12 kids had brand new, sturdy, reliable shoes!
I still think crocs are ugly. But they sure are one great ugly blessing for these kids!
