Pain Shouldnʻt be a Punishment (for Being Poor)

It was fricken hot today, wasnʻt it? Iʻm sweating in my jeans and tank top on my way to the bus stop, and itʻs only eight in the morning. Iʻm wearing my new New Balance shoes with the expensive insoles because Iʻve decided to wear them every day this week to see how they work. So Iʻm paying attention to my feet and how they feel in the pavement, and Iʻm paying attention to how the insoles feel on my arches-- are they too much? Iʻm paying attention to my knees to see if theyʻre turning in and my back to see if anything aches.

And then it occurs to me just how privileged I am.

Not blessed, not lucky. Privileged.

1. I have great health insurance that allows me to receive quality health care. Youʻve seen me write this over and over, how lucky I feel to have health insurance! I went to see my primary care physician who referred me to a podiatrist who, after seeing my X-rays and examining my feet, recommended I start investing in quality footwear and insoles.

2. I can afford to buy orthotic slippers. These are my everyday wear. If you see me wearing them at work, itʻs because theyʻre the most supportive and comfortable things for my feet. The podiatrist says that a good supportive shoe/slipper will feel uncomfortable at first because itʻs changing the alignment of my body-- changing its center of gravity. Until earlier this week, these slippers I have were the only orthotic thing I owned.

2a. I can afford Amazon Prime. The slippers were nowhere to be found at any local retailer, and they were cheaper on Amazon than on the brandʻs website. And having Prime, shipping was free. Returning them would have been free, too, if Iʻd discovered upon delivery that the slippers werenʻt a good fit.

3. I can afford supportive athletic shoes. These babies are not cheap. At all. Neither are they the most expensive, but itʻs priced so far out of my comfort zone that I had waited months since seeing the doctor-- months that the status of my feet worsened-- before spending the money.

4. I can afford the time it took to purchase the shoes. I was at the store for hours. Literally, hours. I tried on several pairs and even thought Iʻd found the right one when Noah brought out another pair and I realized THOSE were the shoes for me. I didnʻt have to rush off, I didnʻt have distractions. In fact, I didnʻt even have to share my sales person with anyone but once for a total of two minutes.

5. I can afford the insoles, which cost almost half of what the price of the shoes themselves. Crazy! Madness! But I knew I needed them, could tell immediately that I needed the arch support or my feet were going to scream at me every day I found myself on the treadmill. And then what would have been the point of buying the new shoes?

When it occurred to me how privileged I was to be wearing these shoes on my feet, to walk in such comfort, I thought about all of those people who were experiencing pain like me but couldnʻt do much about it.

You can buy slippers at Old Navy for as little as a dollar if you catch the right sale. You can buy cheap insoles anywhere. You can find cheap shoes at many discount stores. You might not even know if something was really wrong with your feet or your knees or your back because you couldnʻt afford to visit the doctor. And this describes so many people-- including me just a few years ago!

Hereʻs another thing: I donʻt take care of my feet. I know I should soak my feet and moisturize them regularly. It probably wouldnʻt hurt to get a foot massage every now and then, either. My feet are dry and rough from going barefoot and wearing slippers so much, and the places that are roughest are also sensitive.

My new shoes are good. I can tell the difference in my knees and back. These shoes give me the support I need so that my feet arenʻt throbbing after the gym (or after work, for that matter). I may actually go back to the podiatrist to purchase the orthotic insoles instead, and thatʻs some bucks, too. I also want to buy an orthotic pair of casual shoes, which are more my every day style than athletic sneakers.  Those casual shoes are expensive. For that matter, anything orthotic has turned out to cost a pretty penny, so you gotta have money to give your feet a rest! To alleviate the knee and lower back pain.

I wish money wasnʻt a prerequisite for good health. I see so many people on the bus whose feet look like they must ache all day and night. They look like theyʻre going to burst out of their skin, wearing Locals slippers from Longs, and theyʻre struggling to get on and off the bus. And the thing is, having quality health care and health insurance now doesnʻt mean Iʻll have it 5, 20, 37 years from now. I could easily be one of those people. What happens when my situation changes and I canʻt meet the demands of my health and age?