Most of the time, working in retail is a lot of fun. People always roll their eyes when I say this, but I truly do enjoy customer service. Getting to talk to people every day? Getting to share my recommendations and my opinion? I adore that stuff. It’s like being a lawyer, but with so much less stress. I work in a clothing store, which is amazing since I am surrounded by clothes. The only downside is that I am on my feet all day, for hours at a time. They hurt so much when I take my shoes off at night.
Last week, I started looking for a place that does podiatry self-referral. Cheltenham has a few of these around, which is lucky since I don’t really have the time for going through the whole process of getting a referral. That’s another downside of working retail: I often work odd hours. When regular offices close, I’m still working. It’s even worse during busy periods like the Christmas period, or Black Friday, since the store stays open all the way until midnight to accommodate all the frenzied and last-minute shoppers.
Part of me suspects that my foot issues are coming from the type of shoes that I am wearing. They’re a very fashionable shoe, but they’re not particularly comfortable nor supportive. I do want to change them at some point, but I don’t want to spend money, and I don’t want to look ugly in them, either. I’m thinking about getting some heel and arch support insoles for flat feet, as a bit of a compromise. I know I used to have flat feet as a child, but I’m not sure if they have improved in the decades since. I’m not even sure if they can improve at all. Frankly, I know nothing about the muscles in the foot. That’s why I’m grateful for podiatrists.