The Waiting Room

Today I drove my parents to an eye appointment. Just a routine eye exam. They went in. I stayed in the waiting room.

I tried to finish my book about Maria Montessori. The appointment took about an hour. I think I read six pages. Each paragraph over and over and over again.

Why?

Apparently, waiting rooms are where many many overly extroverted people go to hear themselves talk.

I will admit that I am hormonally challenged today. It was a challenge getting myself out of the house at 7:15. I had to bring my stomach ache with me. That is why I stayed in the waiting room. And, I am hopelessly introverted. I do not have even one extroverted cell in my body. Not one. Not even a half of one.

I would like to introduce you to a small sampling of THE PEOPLE IN THE WAITING ROOM.

Loud Truck Driver Man - He played 7 degrees of separation with his seat-neighbor. I now know about everyone he has ever known. And, he DID know his seat-neighbor, as this man used to come in to one of the many many places he worked AFTER he retired from truck driving.

Obnoxious and very LOUD woman who used to live in DC until her parents moved the family to Maryland due to knives vs. guns in the 50's and 60's - She came in the door talking. Talking LOUD. She let all of us know that her appointment time wasn't for an hour but she had to take her husband to work because she needed the car and she wasn't going to go back home because she was sure she would fall asleep if she did. Every two seconds she would say, I HOPE I DON'T FALL ASLEEP! Personally, I wished she would. But, she most likely talks in her sleep. I know where her husband works and for how long. I don't think her appointment was forced on her, so I wonder why she made such an early one if all she was going to do was complain about it.

Spanish Speaking Woman - She was sweet, when she was speaking English. But, she told her true feelings to her husband in Spanish, and I know just enough to know that she said something very unkind about the LOUD woman. I looked right at her, and she looked SO embarrassed.

Two Other Loud Women who knew they knew each other from somewhere but couldn't figure out where - Loudly, they proclaimed everything they had ever done in their lives. I'm sure they met in another waiting room, were the conversation went exactly the same way. And I was there, too. I know it. This happens EVERY time I am in a waiting room.

Loud Religious Man from Jenison - he proclaimed over and over that he did not need doctor's because he had Jesus. He proclaimed that loudly to his seat-neighbor, who after a few short minutes told him that HE was a doctor. Soon he clarified that eye doctor's weren't in the same category as other doctors. Well. That cleared that up nicely. I know where he goes to church, because he kept name dropping, and the people that I know who go there go to the doctor regularly. He and his seat-neighbor discovered that they are neighbors! Can you believe it??? Loud Religious Man from Jenison was dumb struck. For about a half a second. You can't throw a stick in Grand Rapids without hitting someone from Jenison, but hearing this guy you would have thought that Pat Robertson should invite him on his show to discuss this strange happening.

Two Ladies with White Hair - They were nice and did not talk too loud. They were just close to me and hard of hearing. They were discussing the upcoming election for governor of Michigan. They were both planning to vote for Dick DeVos, because they knew someone who knew his dad really well. Now that I understand the criteria for voting, MY children were in a play with Dick DeVos' children, so now I guess I will HAVE to vote for him. But, I didn't share that with those women. Because I am introverted, and trying to read.

I tried really hard to read my book. Maria Montessori was a brilliant woman. I have to concentrate really hard to read things about brilliant people as I am not one of them.

I do realize that the world is made up of mostly extroverted people. THGGM is extroverted. I gave birth to three extroverts. But, in 47 years of being an introvert, I have NOT gotten used to the noise!

There. I said it.

Now be quiet. I'm trying to read.