Other People's Shoes

Did you ever do this? I remember when my daughter, Adia, was younger, my wife and I would stand her up against a wall at GGma’s house—my wife’s grandmother—and measure her height. As we sold the house, I wondered what the new owners would think of those marks. My guest today is Mark Collins, and he reflects on how those marks, much like childhood height measurements, serve as symbols of growth. For many men, masculinity can feel like an elusive mark, always shifting just beyond reach, as though no matter how hard we try to stand tall, we’re told we don’t measure up. Society often defines what it means to be a man, but like the faded lines on the wall, our value isn’t found in those measurements. Real growth happens in the unseen spaces, where true strength isn’t about height, but depth of character.