I arrive fifteen minutes before my appointment. The parking lot is packed. I drive round and round looking for a place to park. Waiting for someone to leave so I can park in their spot. No luck. And then I see three isles over someone is about to get into their car. I head over in that direction as quickly as I can.
Just as I arrive at the aisle, I see a Mercedes Benz pulling into the aisle from the other end. They practically fly towards the parking spot and wait while the car backs out. This pisses me off to no end. I pound on my steering wheel and yell out,” damn.” I arrive at the parking spot, and the guy who stole my spot is out of the car and locking his car. “Hey, that was my spot; you stole my spot.”
The Waiting Room
He looks over at me and shrugs his shoulder and starts walking toward the doctor’s office. I yell, “jerk.”
I decide to drive to the parking lot in the business complex next door. I find a spot in the Merrill Lynch parking lot. It just so happens that this is the building where my investment broker’s office resides. So, if anyone questions me, I can just say that I stopped in the office to speak to Tod Pinto. Parking spots in this business district are rare.
I lock my car and walk towards the doctor’s offices. As I walk through the door, I realize I’m late for my appointment and that it doesn’t matter because the waiting room is full, packed to the rafters, overflowing.
This is my first appointment at this office. I see a sign that says Sign In at the main reception area. I get in line. Yeah, I have to wait in a line to sign in. I realize this is going to be a long morning. After ten minutes, I step up to the Sign In window and wait there. After a moment or two, the person behind me says, “just sign in they’ll call your name when they are ready for you. After you see the doctor, you go to the sign-out desk. That’s when you pay and show proof of insurance.”
I turn around and look at the person who’s talking to me, and she is ancient. No, I’m not exaggerating she’s as old as the hills, older than dirt, on her way out. “Thanks for telling me. This is the first time at this office.”
“Oh, a newbie, well good luck finding a seat. You have to get here a least a half-hour early or more to get a parking spot. And it’s the same for getting a seat. Sometimes you have to wait until someone is called into the doctor’s office and then jump into the seat immediately.”
“What, you have to be kidding me. They should just move to bigger offices. This is ridiculous.”
“This is their new office they’ve only been here for a little over six months. This practice has the best eye specialist for macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma in South Jersey. There’s a waiting list to come here.”
“Yeah, I had to wait for a cancellation to get an appointment. This is nuts.”
“Well, good luck. Oh, hey, somebody just got called into the exam room. Grab the seat before somebody else does.”
I mumble, “thanks.”
I literally throw myself into the empty seat. In fact, I almost topple over into the row of people behind me because of how hard I hit the metal chair. I hear someone say, “lookout, he’s going to fall.” And all the people jump up in anticipation that I’m about to descend on all their frail and decrepit old bodies.
My chair rocks back and forth, back and forth. But at the last moment, I manage to stabilize it. I say out, “Jesus that was close. I turn around slightly and say,” Oh, sorry, folks. I didn’t mean to scare the shit out of you, my bad.”
I hear some old lady, saying,” Oh dear, oh dear.” I honker down in my chair. I don’t move for about ten minutes; then I realize that I have to go to the bathroom. I know I will lose my seat if I get up, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to hold it in much longer. I start squirming around in my seat like a five-year-old. The lady next to me looks at me with some concern on her face. “Are you alright? Are you sick or something?”
“No, I just have to go to the bathroom. I didn’t go before I left because I was late leaving.”
“Oh well, I’m just waiting for my husband to come out. I’ll put my purse on your seat. And if anyone says anything, I’ll just tell them I’m saving it for my husband. And he’s going to be right back.”
“You would do that?”
“Of course, we all have to help each other out when we can don’t, we? Or, where would we all be?”
I look over at her. She is smiling, and her blue eyes are twinkling. That’s the only way I can describe it. Her eyes were smiling too. She looks at me and says,” Go on, it will be fine.”
“Oh, good, you’re back. Have a seat.”
“Thank you, that was kind of you.” She shrugs her shoulders and smiles again.
Just then, the automatic door opens up, and a man moves slowly into the room. He is using a walker. He takes two steps forward and then stops to rest. Then another two steps and stops. I realize he is using some kind of breathing apparatus.
I mumble under my breath,” dear god.” He slowly, excruciatingly makes his slow and painful walk up to the Sign-In desk at the front of the office. I watch him attempting to sign in. He has trouble because he has to take one hand off his walker to sign in. He wavers a little. It looks like he is going to fall. He’s rocking back and forth. I jump up and run to the desk.” Hi, I say. Can I give you a hand?”
He slowly turns his head and looks at me. “Yes, I would appreciate that. My niece was supposed to come with me today, but her baby got sick and she had to take him to the doctor.”
“Did you drive yourself here?”
“Yes, but it was slow going, especially since my vision isn’t what it used to be.”
I looked at him and thought dear god, should he be driving? “Listen, why don’t you take my seat over there? See that pretty lady with the white hair. Oh, wait, all the ladies in here have white hair. I ‘ll show you. You can have my seat, it’s almost time for my appointment, and I don’t mind standing for a while.
“Oh really, young man, that is thoughtful of you. I would love to sit down.”
“Ok, why don’t we head over to the seat, and you can rest up before name is called in for your appointment.”
As I follow him over to the seat, I notice several of the people in the waiting room are watching our slow progress across the room. And the strangest thing is that they are all smiling and nodding their heads at me. For some reason, I feel a lump rise in my throat, and my eyes well up with tears. I have to wipe one tear away as it threatens to run down my cheek. For some reason, I feel better at that moment than at any time in the recent past.
“Here we are, why don’t you let me help you sit down and I’ll put your walker at the end of the aisle. If you are still here after I go in for my appointment, I’ll wait for you to see the doctor and help you out to your car.”
“You would do that?”
“Of course, where would we be if we don’t help each other out?”
“Thank you, young man, do you mind telling me your name?”
“My name is Mathew Muller. But you can call me Matt.”
“Well, that’s a weird coincidence my name is Mathew too. Thank you, Matt.”
“You’re welcome. Mathew.”
I move out of the aisle and stand by the window. And then I look all around the room. And I see people, just people. And I think these are just people not unlike myself. They have families that love them and friends. They have problems sometimes. Not so different from me, they have just lived longer than I have. Probably, people that I could learn a lot from. I lean against the wall and, then I hear a young woman call my name. “Mathew, Mathew Miller.”
I walk up to the front of the room and she asks.” Are you Mathew Miller?”
“Yes, yes, I am.”
“How are you today Mathew?”
“I’m fine, just fine. Thanks for asking.”
“Well, Mathew Dr. Sarnow is running a bit late today so you may have a bit of a wait in the exam room. But I will start the tests before he comes in, and by the time, I’m finished he should be coming in to see you, all right?”
“Yes, that is just fine, thanks.”
__________________________________