I was walking down 13th street towards Metrocenter yesterday, when about a foot ahead of me, I saw red — down below. Blood red. Right on a woman’s heel. A gruesome sight, no doubt. She was clearly wearing uncomfortable shoes. I winced noticeably and fought every urge not to say something. How could she do it? Her faced showed not an ounce of pain.

I inadvertently chose, of course, to wear uncomfortable shoes the very next day. Just to see if they were as unpleasant as I remembered them.

One day later, I’m her. My heels are red, blistery, and shamefully evident of a poor wardrobe choice. I penguin walked back to the metro and luckily found a seat to isolate my pain. Pretty soon, I’ll be home and strongly reminded to never do this again.