Me As an Amputee

This is one of the fun and exciting things my classmates and I did last week when a company called Ohio Willow Wood hosted us at their facility. They have created this "bent-knee device" for non-amputees to try out and bear weight on different prosthetic feet. A few comments about the experience:

1. I know that this cannot possibly mimic what it REALLY feels like to have an amputation.
2. The "bent-knee device" was very heavy and cumbersome to use, more so than any actual prosthesis should be, which is good for people who wear prostheses.
3. It felt VERY strange to bear weight on the prosthetic feet. I heard someone who wears a prosthesis say that it is good but a poor substitute for the real thing. Now I sort of understand what he meant. No matter how fancy a prosthetic foot is, it's still just a lump of inanimate materials.
4. It freaked me out, even knowing that I still had my leg safely attached, to look down and see this prosthesis in place of my left leg. Very stange indeed.