Recently, Jacob Ferrel, a sophomore at Generic High School in southern-middle Tennessee, was faced with a tragic loss. He, in the midst of his peers, suffered from something that has become rampant among teenagers today: his brand-new, white shoes were creased.

“You never think things like this will happen to you,” Ferrel said in an interview. “This kind of heartbreaking loss always seems so distant… until it comes at you full-force.”

Ferrel was reportedly on his way to his fifth-period biology class when the incident occurred. He was surrounded by other students who were all stopped in their tracks as the unfortunate episode in Generic High School history unfolded.

Allison Barnes, a junior, commented, “It was something that you would never want to see, but you just can’t take your eyes off of. I was shocked, stunned even. I couldn’t keep myself from tearing up.” 

Several students were sent to the nurse following the incident as a result of collisions caused by students who stopped abruptly after seeing such an upsetting event. So far, there have been no reports of any scuffs or scrapes on the shoes of bystanders.

“There are some shoes that you get weeks, even months of use out of,” said Ferrel, “and then there are those that are taken too soon.”

Later, freshman Corey Sanders said, “I never would have expected to witness something so gut-wrenching in my very first year of high school. The really sad thing is that just hours before I saw Jacob showing all of his friends his brand new shoes. No one had any idea what was about to happen.”

Ferrel, after five devastating hours of grieving, was later gifted a new pair of the same shoes. He was seen wearing them the very next day.

“You could tell he was moving on. He had a smile on his face,” said Barnes, “but you could see just a minute sadness in his eyes. Who could blame him? Those were the eyes of someone who had seen and suffered so much.”

“There are things in life that you never really forget,” said Ferrel, “and this is one of them. Hardships, though, are often there to bring about growth and a new sense of endurance for the tough times of the future.”

Everyone pulls a different meaning from Ferrel’s story. For some, it’s about rising from your difficulties. For others, it’s about coming to terms with the loss. But everyone agrees that Ferrel’s story should be spread to all so that it may benefit any who are in need.