Antalgic gait

I was out with West Coast a while back, shopping for boots of all things. I'm not a boot guy, and WC's response to this was that I am a boot guy, if I would give it a chance. And so I did. I bought boots over the weekend. They go above the ankle and are leather soled. They are fancy, and I could probably wear them with my suit and stuff.

And so, I decided to try them out. And for the first hour, they were nice. I felt large and in charge, with an extra 3/4" of lift to make me feel on top of the world. However, that hour came and went quickly, and then it was nothing but pain. I haven't worn dress shoes for a day of hospital work in months. I usually wear Skechers or some other pseudosneaker.

And by the end of the day, the intern, my attending, and the nursing staff were all wondering if I'd twisted my ankle, I looked so awkward. But it was all worth it in the end. I went to the golf course, switched into my new golf shoes, and I was hitting for distance. It felt good. High and straight, the perfect swing.

So maybe a little pain in the end pays off. Come to think of it, this is an apt metaphor for the entirety of residency.