So, I'm going to the Dr. today, which means I might wait a long time in at least two different waiting rooms. I think that I'm a fairly patient person. I've trained for this type of thing my whole life (having spent countless hours sitting in waiting rooms). I'm pretty good at it. Some people are clearly not very good at it.
When I'm waitng I often think of one guy, an adult man, who was in a waiting room with me an a handfull of other people, oh, maybe 20 years ago. He had to be approximately 45 years old, but just acted like a 2 year old. Unbelievable. He was fidgeting, whining and constantly walking up to the receptionist asking, "I've been waiting a long time. How much longer?" He asked the rest of us if we thought it was ridiculous that we all had to wait so long. We pretty much told him to relax, and that this is normal. What we should have told him was to stop acting like a child.
I generally think that the ability to be patient in those those situations is something that should be expected. After all, it's likely that the reason you are waiting is because the doctor is paying due attention to someone elses needs, and you should wish the same for yourself. Or, it could be that the good doctor has purposely over-booked his/her day, just in case of cancellations or to squeeze more paying bodies into accounts receivable. Seeing how many people need the services of doctors, and given the specialization of the doctor I'll see today, his reputation and the reputation of the institution he's associated with - I'm going to assume that he's in great demand. I know that he takes due time with me, and I'm O.K. with waiting. That's why they call us "patients", isn't it?
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3 comments:
Not really the same thing, but your post made me think of the people who get frustrated and visibly agitated waiting for a bus or the El. They'll walk out in the middle of the street looking for the bus and make a big show of sighing and being put out. It always makes me chuckle.
I have heard that bad joke in just about every waiting room I've ever been in and I been in lots of 'em. I to just assume that I'll be waiting forever and deal with it. Bring a book and settle in. Get up early that day and fall asleep while you wait. Go rub one out in the bathroom. Do anything you want, but shut up and let me watch Maury. That guy is definitely not the father of that baby.
I've also heard that joke a million times. It's SO obvious! I love it.
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