Yesterday I took Mother to Nearby City to the podiatrist. I’ve often told her to try for a 1:00 p.m. appointment. However, she had one scheduled at 2:15 p.m. I’m not sure Mother has caught on to the theory of being first after the lunch break. You have more of a chance of being in the waiting room a short time.
I had some other errands to run and knew it would be too much for Mother. I left her at the doctor’s office and headed to Hobby Lobby (My favorite favorite place!) I really NEEDED to go there. I had supplies to purchase.... yes, I did. I had promised Mother that I wouldn’t be long, so put my shopping into fast mode and forfeited browsing in any section other than stamping supplies. It was a sacrifice, but saved me time and money. I was proud of myself for accomplishing what I set out to do in a timely fashion.
I returned to the doctor’s office and saw Mother sitting by the window. I had high hopes that she had seen the doctor. Not so. A full hour plus went by before she was even called by the nurse. I remember looking at my watch at 3:30 p.m. She had been whisked away a few minutes earlier, and I hoped she was at least in the personal care of the doctor by then. It was standing room only in the waiting area. The turnover rate was at a snail’s pace. Oh, my... I often think how rich I’d be if I had a penny for every hour I’ve ever spent cooling my heels in a doctor’s office.
Normally, I put a book into my purse... just in case. I’d forgotten. Therefore, I sat quietly looking around at all the people. I do enjoy people watching. We humans can be quite entertaining.
One older gentleman entered on crutches, his wife briskly following behind. He managed to lower himself into a chair nearby. He seemed to make a number of noises, like one not totally comfortable and just trying to rearrange externally and internally for more comfort.
A younger woman with two children, I’m guessing around seven and ten years old, entered. The children had to sit on the floor. The woman sat next to me. The gentleman leaned forward and tried to start up a conversation with the children. They managed to ignore him. They had their own entertainment: Gameboys and music devises. They managed to plug themselves into their own world and let the rest of it go by. I had tried earlier to be friendly with the boys, and I knew this gentleman was up against impossible odds. I finally leaned forward, smiled at the gentleman and said, ‘I’m afraid you are being ignored.’ He laughed and said that he had grandchildren and was accustomed to being ignored.
I’m a fan of technology, but I do wonder how much of the world is being missed by those of all ages who constantly plug in and tune out. This world is about interaction. We need to engage, not disengage. That is my word of wisdom for the day. I believe it, and I’m sticking to it.
(I would also comment that in a perfect world, waiting rooms would have only short waits. I guess in a perfect world, there would be no need for doctors, so there would be no waits.)
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