Now if any of you know me, a trip to the auto parts store is not an uncommon thing for me to do. I fix my own cars, and have since I was 16. I was heading out to pick up a few parts for my car when I thought to my self “hey, I will go to Advance Auto, they are selling shoes for the JDRF“. There I went, going a few miles out of my way, but most of all through some more traffic. But the trip was worth it.

Now I worked in an auto parts store during one of my stints in college, so I love to roam the isles, looking stuff over, and seeing what new things they carrying. Upon arrival, I looked over the counter area, and there they were, shoes, paper shoes the JDRF sells to raise money and awareness of Juvenile Diabetes. I ask the parts guy where the exhaust system parts were. I quickly picked out what I needed and headed to the counter to pay.

I put my parts down and got ready to pay. I told they guy “thank you” for raising money for the JDRF. “Oh, thanks he said” somewhat shocked. I said I raise money for them myself, I have 2 daughters with Juvenile Diabetes. The parts guy told me diabetes ran in his family, many of his family had it, the “other kind” he said. Type 2, I told him, I reassured him the Type 2 was not fun to deal with, and there was much ignorance about Type 2 also. We talked briefly about how both were genetic and the public had many misconceptions about both.

Now this conversation lasted around a minute, just enough time to swipe my debit card. Now they guy standing behind me had a look of complete befuddlement, a daughter of no more than 8 years old he had with him. I wonder what he thought. He had to return to get parts he ordered for his vehicle, I wonder if he will buy a shoe when he returns for his parts. I hope the topic of Juvenile Diabetes comes up again for him, either on TV, conversation or some kind of print media.

I don’t think I made any big impact on Juvenile Diabetes awareness yesterday, but I took what oppertunity I had, and did what I could. I bought 2 shoes (many I have sold myself), I was hoping others would ask what they were about. I also got to tell the story of 2 little girls with bleeding fingers. And maybe that is the best advocating a dad can do.