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A day in the life of a nomad




What do you see in this picture?


Would you play this silly game with me? Look at the picture and write down the first thought that comes to your mind in the comments below and then come back and finish reading my post to see how close you came to the truth.


Stop right here and fight back the urge to keep reading the rest of my post. Go on, look at the picture one more time and write down your impression.

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Would you call it a downward selfie?


Most of you will see the photo of somebody standing, and an insole. That’s weird.


Some will be drawn to the pair of white Converse sneakers, but an insole?


What is an insole doing there? My guess is that most people will try to figure out the meaning of this item in the picture.

The story behind the picture


Today was a very special day for me. After a very long convalescence I was able to fit my left swollen foot inside a shoe for the first time. Ten months exactly after my calcaneus surgery. It was a tricky thing to do but a huge accomplishment.


All this time, month after month, at the end of each day, my left foot is swollen, but every morning after laying down for hours goes back to almost normal.


My plan was to squeeze it in a shoe before getting up, as soon as I wake up. At first try didn’t work, because it was not “normal” enough. So I removed the insole and voila… it went in!

It was not easy though and caused me some pain.



A closer look


If you pay attention to the rubber of the sneakers you will notice the difference in color of the left shoe compared to the right one. Why? I don't know but it has something to do with the fact that all my left shoes were stored in a box for 10 months while the right ones were used for the last 3 when I began to take steps with my crutches and go out to do my shopping.


The shoelaces on the left are loose and tight on the right.


Look at my left ankle and you will see it is bigger than the right one, it is swollen even in the morning, by the end of the day it grows a little more. you will see the broken capillaries due to tremendous swelling for such a long time.



I am different in Indonesia


Here in this part of the world, I got used to local people looking at me startled and curious for many reasons. To start, I stand out as a foreigner wherever I go and my person draws attention. But then, when you add the rest of the peculiarities it makes it worse. They see me in an inquisitive manner walking with crutches and hearing the strange noises the aluminum aids make at every step. They wonder why I walk with one shoe on my right foot and just a sock on the left one --I stopped using the bandage several months ago. That’s how I used to go around before today because nothing would fit in my left foot, not even a flip flop or sandal.



Conclusion


Nonetheless I call this progress. Unfortunately, it is taking a very long time. It is not possible to see any difference from day to day, not even from week to week. I can barely notice slight differences from month to month. But this is a huge one, first time in almost a year I am able to wear both shoes.


And this was another day in the life of a nomad.


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