Lessons I Learned From My Osteoarthritis
The downside — and yes, the upside
“Slow Down!”
Ah…I remember the days when I used to be able to outwalk any person, male or female, in my 4” heels.
As a younger woman, I had always walked at a good clip, probably because I felt so much of my life had been stymied — by a combination of my parents and barriers in my profession. So naturally, I wanted to make up for lost time, intent on traversing from Point A to B as quickly as possible.
There were so many things to do and I wanted to make sure I’d finish them before the first half of my life was over. And for some reason, I found it easier to walk in heels than flats — probably because of my high arches. I walked as tall and proud as I possibly could to lift up my petite 5’5” frame.
Not that this was always easy. Nearly everyone around me complained that I walked too fast. Certainly, my mother did. Boyfriends felt ashamed of being outwalked by a girl, so they’d tell me to slow down, making the excuse that their hips were hurting.
Random people on the street would also tell me to slow down, as if it were any of their business–even if I walked around them. Then there was a former friend who would make sarcastic quips loud enough for others to hear, like ”Jesus, I’m not…
