It is a truth universally acknowledged that a short woman in possession of fluctuating curves must be in want of heels.

My work clothes are high necks, low hems, and muted colours. A doctor’s appearance should not distract patients from what they are saying (IMHO). But I do make one concession. I possess a bountiful collection of heels. These shoes add height, (perhaps not gravity), to my demeanour, and when visualising the fundi of the great and the good I need all the leverage I can get.

My job involves assessing gait: shuffling, broad based, marche à petits pas. I assess patients using a disability score. I see how much people struggle to take a step, how much of achievement it can be to walk a few steps without a frame.

Choosing footwear like mine induces a superficial handicap. It is unheard of for me to climb four flights of hospital stairs from clinic to office, in those heels how could I? Running for a bus is an event surpassed only in its frequency only by the incidence of Wipple’s disease in the last century.

Thinking about it, it’s ridiculous to hinder a function that is a gift to have.

I always opt for the lift because of my shoes. In my experience, hospitals are towering buildings, and it is easy to ignore the stairs. Do we really appreciate our luck that we are physically capable of using them?

This week I’ll be taking the stairs (maybe even in flat shoes!).

IMHO: in my humble opinion.