Walking Tall

As long as I could remember, I liked high heels. Friends would wonder how I managed walking, officemates thought I was tall. It might be genetic; my Mom has trouble walking in flat shoes!

My life changed in more ways than I could imagine when I moved to Singapore.

On my second day to work, I took the bus. The ride took me by surprise. It was as if I was riding a giant bump car. I almost fell; it was such a struggle to balance. If there were less people standing, I swear I would have fallen on my face. My shoes didn't help.

I was faced with the ordeal of giving up high heels. My life depended on it. Another issue was that I didn't have flat shoes for work.

To make a long story short, I started wearing flat shoes. I would gradually increase the heel height until I was able to determine the optimal height. Two and a half inches. Perfect.

As I gained confidence in my balancing skills, I would once in a while wear my 4-inch-heels. Of course my feet still suffered as I did a lot of walking here. My only consolation was that at least I still get to wear the shoes that I like without jeopardizing my life. Balancing in buses, it is like riding a bike, once you have mastered it, the skill is yours forever.

It is probably over-confidence on my part when I purchased this pair of shoes that caught my eye.

The first time I wore it, it was a Friday. Come Saturday, I could hardly walk, my calves hurt!

The second time I wore it, I went to a party. I spend 95% of the time seated. The minute I got home, I immediately took off my shoes. No, not when I got inside my room. I took my shoes off right after I got in the front door.

Today was the third time I wore them. The third time was NOT a charm.

Despite the suffering brought about by this pair, I still have not given up on them. I will continue to "train" myself. I refuse to give up. After all, I fell more than a few times and even scratched my legs in more places than one when I was learning how to ride a bike.