Guilt and Shopping

It has been a few weeks now since my injury, and I am still hobbling around. It is improving in that I have no bruising anymore, and the swelling is isolated to the joint of concern. I have been undertaking physio which proves to be a twice-weekly reminder of the pain that still exists there. Tap dancing is becoming a distant memory, and the thought of being able to run is indeed foreign. I am assured that one day it will be ok once again. But for now, walking is challenging enough for me.

But the real crime of the whole situation is not the costly physio, ongoing pain or cankles I suffered. The pain is that I can't wear my normal shoes. No high heels. At all. Now with compromised balance, teetering in heels is a no go zone. I have been able to manage some very careful sauntering in wedges with full support around my foot. My physiotherapist said that I could start introducing some heels back into my wardrobe this week. I leapt with glee and then perused my selection. It seems that I own a couple of pairs of flat shoes, some casual trainer type shoes and all the rest are minimum two inches high. Minimum!

Begrudgingly I had to admit that I am not yet able to tolerate my usual footwear. I was then faced with a shoe dilemna. Clearly I needed some shoes, even just for work, that had "some" small heel to begin the transition back to normality. Do I spend my usual on a pair of fashionably reasonable shoes, despite the fact that I don't particularly enjoy a mid-heel height shoe? Or do I buy the cheapest I can to "do the job" until I am back to normal? I am certainly tempted by the latter option, much as it shames me to say. Unless of course, I can ignore the guilt that Subtle is trying to lay on me when I say the words, "I think I need to buy new shoes!"