IT’S ALL IN THE WALK

Yesterday I drove TLW (The Little Woman) to her eye doctor appointment, and it was scheduled in the middle of the day. Middle of the day appointments is for old people and old people only!

Now if you go to an appointment that is scheduled after working hours, what you will find is a younger crowd, with younger attitudes and values. They will bury their heads in cell phones and emails or text messages: will wear flip-flops and shirts with some band or rock group I never heard silk-screened on. They will drive like maniacs into the parking lot, and park in more than one space to prevent anyone form scratching their wheels.

But mid-day, it is all: different! Usually they come in pairs, one holding up the other or having a child accompany them (usually a mother daughter combo) to keep them from falling, dribbling and not communicating with the doctor. They dress in T-shirts with a pharmaceutical company logo on them, or long sleeve shirts with crisp jeans and brand new sneaker like shoes. They read the magazines, and own no cell phone to check mail or text anyone. They park precisely in the middle of the parking space and walk into the building oblivious of the world around them.

Some may fall asleep in the waiting room, and you wonder if this is their last stop, some sit and look angrily at other patients and some like I said, read their magazines, finding out that Roosevelt’s WPA has passed by Congress.

When we (the old people) are called, it usually take a couple of calls, one louder than the one before and a few moments to get up some steam to stand, and try to create motion by rocking to and fro to get the first step under way. This enables all the joints to ache at the same time as you move.

All the mid-day husbands make a pit stop, sometimes more than one, They will be given their wife’s handbag to hold and watch and look comfortable, depending how long they are married to the old girl, are solicitous of their wives getting a seat for them and keep on eye out for the good looking technicians that come and get you. Being I was waiting for TLW to finish her appointment, I had the pleasure of napping, and reading the different people who come and go, imagining how their day is spent, and counted 4 technicians I would be willing to spent some time with, I wasn’t accessorized, she kept her handbag, Thank God!.