I have been wanting to start having guest bloggers. I have been telling the Diva that I want her to do one. She had to write an essay for AP Composition Class about having a dream. She had to write her essay in the sense of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech. When she asked me to proof read it I decided to blog it. (with her permission of course!)

Crocs are something her and I disagree on. She hates them. I semi-hate them. I have one pair that I wear in the yard or maybe to pick someone up if I don't have to get out of the car. She wants me to wear them well, never.

I stand before you today, in a size eight, two and half inch high stiletto, to raise awareness of the tragic epidemic that is sweeping our nation. I stand before you today, as a woman who knows the pains of "a great shoe" and is not afraid to stand up to it. I stand before you today, to stop the oppression of the women of this nation, as they are faced with the evils of comfort and practicality.

Three long years ago, women walked our streets, their feet dressed in the latest fashion. Stilettos, and boots, and fabulous flats adorned our sidewalks. Yet, look around now. What do you see? You see women falling prey to the ideal of being comfortable. No longer, are we believers of "pain is beauty"! No longer, are women suffering in order to look good in the latest fashions! We are being shackled by the chains of comfort, and brainwashed by the less fashionably fortunate. As a woman of this fashion forward world, you are blessed with the right to dress how you want, and the way you want.

We are not restricted by the manacles of religion, or the ways of society. My fellow women, we are being shackled by the evils of comfort. As seen through the painful demonstration of the new trend that is Crocs. Plastic garden shoes, with "breathing holes" for those tired feet...this must be stopped! My fellow Americans, I stand before you today to urge you to stand up to the temptation, and to look it in the eye (or in this case the feet) and stand strong. Like an unwanted tenant, comfortable shoes have moved into the fashion world. They have come in, unpacked their bags, and hung their pictures on the wall. And they don't intend on leaving on their own accord.

I have a dream, that one day, we will put these shoes back on their shelves and walk through life in the shoes that have graced our streets prior to this comfort epidemic. I have a dream, that the average woman will once again realize that pain is indeed beauty. Practicality is an evil that every woman is faced with. It up to you, as a fashionista of this great nation, to take it with a grain of salt, and accept that in order to be fabulous, you must look fabulous. Your feet may cry, and your legs my ache, but my friends, you will look great.

I have a dream, that one day, stilettos and boots that have for so long, solidified the image of a powerful woman, will return. I have a dream that one day soon, we will all live in harmony with fashion and fabulosity. Now is the time to rise above the trend. Now is the time to shelf those comfort shoes and take out the power shoes. From Washington, to Florida...now is the time. Now is the time, to stand proud as a fashionista of America and cash in those practical shoes, for shoes that make you feel on top of the world. No longer are we going to stand for the idea of sacrificing our femininity, for the sheer fact that it's more comfortable. Now is the time, to take a stand! We must fight for the return of the stiletto. We must rally together, and show that women of the world do not succumb to the pressure of "being comfortable".

I stand before you today, tired feet and all, proud to say that we, as American woman, have the power. We have the power to stop this epidemic sweeping our nation. As Rachel Joy Scott once said, "Start a chain reaction". With one change of a shoe, you can change the view of American women across the nation. Show the world, that you are not afraid to sacrifice your comfort, for a beautiful pump, or funky flat. I stand before you today, to urge you to make the switch. Ditch the plastic shoes, and reconnect with those heels. I stand before you today, a woman who knows that pain is beauty, and knows that the shoes on your feet, reflect the strength in your heart. In today's society, your appearance has a direct effect on the way people view you as an individual.

If you want to be viewed as someone who takes the easy way out, and doesn't push themselves, comfortable shoes is the way to go. Yet, if you want to be viewed as a confident, accomplished, and proud woman, you must let it reflect in your appearance. Nothing says more about a woman then the powerhouse heels on her feet. Comfort and practicality are ruining the image of American women. Power and beauty must be restored in every ones shoe closet, and in every ones life.

I have a dream, that every woman will realize that to wear a comfortable shoe over the fashionable one, is to cheat yourself of the last cookie. You know you want to shelf the comfort, and bring on the beauty, but you just can't bring yourself to do it. I urge you to go for it. Your feet may regret it, but your heart won't. Powerful shoes, in essence, create a powerful women, that essence, creates a powerful life. Which, as the story of our favorite shoe fashionista Cinderella goes, is proof that a pair of shoes can change your life!