People Watching
I had a doctor's appointment today, and that meant sitting in the doctor's office for an hour. The office always reminds me to show up fifteen minutes early or I will have to reschedule. Of course I show up 20 minutes early, because I don't want to reschedule, and then I waited an hour to be called, and then sat in the doctor's exam room for another twenty minutes. Argh! Do you sense my frustration?
I forgot my book and the only magazines on all of the 7 tables they have in the waiting room,s contained advertisements from drug companies. So, I watched people. People are not only funny, as Art Linkletter once said, but they are interesting to watch. One man, waiting with wife, talked on his cell phone. He sat across the room, but his voice filled the room. His wife said something to him; he said something to her, none of which I heard, but then the man gets back on the phone, and spoke loud enough for people to hear in the exam room, "My wife thinks I am talking too loud on the cell phone." I wondered, do I that. A few minutes later, another large, tall man, stands up and talks on his cell phone, and every word he spoke the people waiting, could clearly hear. He went up to speak to the receptionist, and spoke softly. The next time I get on the cell phone, I will see if I speak louder. I hope not, because it is a bit annoying.
The same large, tall man brought his elderly father for a checkup. Sadly, from what I heard on the cell phone conversation, the office called to confirm the father's appointment, but apparently the gentleman's mother, unable to hear very well, thought the appointment for her, and she cancelled. I could see the frustration and annoyance, because he had taken time off from work to bring his father to the doctor. They did squeeze him in, and he made them call him from now on for all appointments. His father sat in a wheelchair with his spine bent over, so the poor man couldn't really look his son in the face. The frail father stood in sharp contrast to his tall, large, muscular son. The son tenderly helped his father, as I imagined the father had once tenderly helped the son.
Two ladies chatted about their ailments and each had to outdo the other as to the seriousness of their troubles.
One woman came in with one arm bandaged from the elbow up. She had scrapes on her other arm, and her eye seemed bruised. Had she been in an accident? Had she been the victim of abuse? I wondered what her story was as I looked at her sad face.
One young man came in looking serious. He nervously sat, changing feet, tapping fingers, and then he got up and walked around. I got to watch this man come out of the examination area smiling broadly, looking relieved. Had he had test for a serious disease, and had he found out he was well? What was his story?
Each of us has a story and each of us has plan for our lives. What am I doing with my life? This question I asked myself today as I watched these people. I hope I live my life for the glory of the Lord. You have a story. I have a story. Some people cross our paths unknown to us. You, dear reader, are part of the story of my life, and I perhaps am part of your story, and yet we many never meet. How will people read the story of our lives? Something to ponder.
I forgot my book and the only magazines on all of the 7 tables they have in the waiting room,s contained advertisements from drug companies. So, I watched people. People are not only funny, as Art Linkletter once said, but they are interesting to watch. One man, waiting with wife, talked on his cell phone. He sat across the room, but his voice filled the room. His wife said something to him; he said something to her, none of which I heard, but then the man gets back on the phone, and spoke loud enough for people to hear in the exam room, "My wife thinks I am talking too loud on the cell phone." I wondered, do I that. A few minutes later, another large, tall man, stands up and talks on his cell phone, and every word he spoke the people waiting, could clearly hear. He went up to speak to the receptionist, and spoke softly. The next time I get on the cell phone, I will see if I speak louder. I hope not, because it is a bit annoying.
The same large, tall man brought his elderly father for a checkup. Sadly, from what I heard on the cell phone conversation, the office called to confirm the father's appointment, but apparently the gentleman's mother, unable to hear very well, thought the appointment for her, and she cancelled. I could see the frustration and annoyance, because he had taken time off from work to bring his father to the doctor. They did squeeze him in, and he made them call him from now on for all appointments. His father sat in a wheelchair with his spine bent over, so the poor man couldn't really look his son in the face. The frail father stood in sharp contrast to his tall, large, muscular son. The son tenderly helped his father, as I imagined the father had once tenderly helped the son.
Two ladies chatted about their ailments and each had to outdo the other as to the seriousness of their troubles.
One woman came in with one arm bandaged from the elbow up. She had scrapes on her other arm, and her eye seemed bruised. Had she been in an accident? Had she been the victim of abuse? I wondered what her story was as I looked at her sad face.
One young man came in looking serious. He nervously sat, changing feet, tapping fingers, and then he got up and walked around. I got to watch this man come out of the examination area smiling broadly, looking relieved. Had he had test for a serious disease, and had he found out he was well? What was his story?
Each of us has a story and each of us has plan for our lives. What am I doing with my life? This question I asked myself today as I watched these people. I hope I live my life for the glory of the Lord. You have a story. I have a story. Some people cross our paths unknown to us. You, dear reader, are part of the story of my life, and I perhaps am part of your story, and yet we many never meet. How will people read the story of our lives? Something to ponder.
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