As I was approaching a staircase, I realized that the distance to the stairs meant I should start with my left foot. I realized it felt really wrong to start going down the stairs with my off foot. Most excitement I've had today.

Nooo! You have to start off on the right foot!

As long as you still pause slightly, and then proceed down slightly faster than your normal walking speed

This is exactly the kind of content I'm here for

Calm down.

Now you've got me thinking about which foot I start going down stairs with.

I knocked myself out once doing that. I just barely clear the ceiling at the bottom going down, and in a rush I mistimed it because I was on my off foot. Woke up to my wife looking down at me and asking if I was any smarter now.

Boy, was she wrong.

I had visions of that happening to me as I went down the stairs. I was also carrying a coffee so there was added danger. But it was iced so the only danger was getting messy. It was also only 4 steps, which is why I led with my left foot and didn't do a stutter step to start with my right.

Sorry about your brains.

This reminds me of a story my wife told me, but I also found it on this blog: https://www.apraksinblues.com/apk-article/master-lius-judgement-this-grandfathers-beard/

There once lived a old man who had a long mustache and beard. He had a wonderful appetite and slept soundly at night. One day his grandson asked him, “Grandfather, when you go to bed, where do you put your beard — under the blanket or on top of it?” The old man had never thought about this, so he couldn’t answer his grandson. But in the evening, lying in bed, he tried to decide how, indeed, it was better to sleep: with the beard under the blanket or on top? All night, he tossed and turned and couldn’t sleep.

Doesn't it just feel so wrong? Like chewing on the other side of your mouth.