As many of you know, I have worked in a couple of medical clinics over the past 2 years. At my position, I come into contact with literally hundreds of people every single day.
Some are good, some are bad, and some are, well, very interesting.
The good are the people who are sweet and kind and very complimentary.... "Oh sweetie, thank you so much for your help! You are a great asset to this clinic!"
The bad are the people who pick fights with me because I couldn't squeeze them in to see the doctor the same day. Just last week I had a "go-nowhere" fight with an old man who yelled at me because I told him that the doctor was at a conference and he wouldn't get his narcotics on the same day. This is how the end of our fight went. Enjoy!
Me: "Stop being rude to me!"
Him: "YOU stop being RUDE to ME!!"
Me: "I'm not being rude. You're not listening to me!"
Him: "Well YOU'RE not listening to ME!"
This fight went on and on for hours.
Just kidding! Only about 30 seconds. But it felt like hours :/
But luckily I work for doctors who support me when I stand up for myself when patients get a little too aggressive. In fact, during this ridiculous fiasco one of the older doctors whispered to the nurse "Good for her! Not letting anyone boss her around!". Afterall, no one likes a bully.
But even though these mean patients are super annoying and rude, they are few and far in between. And luckily they do not consume my work week.
The patients that I live for are the "interesting" ones. The people who are so unique and so different that you can't help but get drawn into their strange and curious lives.
Let me introduce you to my favourite 3 :)
CLARE
I met Clare at the first clinic I worked at and I immediately knew that she was different. Actually, I didn't even have to meet her in order to figure out that she was special.
The first time we spoke was over the phone when she called in to book an appointment. But I was soon taken aback when Clare started crying and praying to God and telling me that there were "some BAD people in this world.....but God sees all!....and HE will have the final say".
I sat quietly and listened. I didn't want to interrupt, but I also knew that this sort of lecture might go on for awhile. It took me 15 minutes to finally book her appointment and get her off the phone.
A week later, Clare showed up for her appointment. She looked slightly older than I expected, a little disheveled and holding a travel mug filled with water.
She thanked me over and over for getting her this appointment, and then went into her shpiel of God and the end of days. I smiled and again listened patiently as she went on and on.
But then things changed when she pointed to her travel mug and said "Leo, it's all about this".
I looked at her travel mug and said "Water??"
"No darling... PEACE!" she said assertively.
I looked at the travel mug again and saw tiny little peace signs all over it. Why had I not noticed those before??
"Yes Clare! Absolutely! PEACE!"
And suddenly our relationship had changed.
It was at that moment that I realized that there was more to Clare then her random ramblings. For all she wanted was to spread her word of love and peace.
Over the next year, Clare and I sort of became of buddies. And every time she came to the clinic I sat with her in the waiting room and listened to her as she spoke of the universe and happiness and God.
At one of her appointments, she came in holding not a water jug, but instead, a large, fake, felt flower with a happy face. It made me laugh out loud. Typical Clare, I thought, always trying to share her wisdom. Unfortunately I didn't have time to sit with her and chat that day, so she sat in the waiting room alone, amongst the other patients, and talked to herself. I became slightly upset when I saw that people were looking at her and whispering and making fun of her. She wasn't bothering anyone after all.
When I brought her into one of the clinic rooms for her appointment, she thanked me over and over for everything I had done for her.
And I said, "Clare, it's my pleasure. I think you're just fabulous". And I meant it.
She looked up at me from her chair, and in the weakest voice she said, "Really? Because people think I'm crazy."
I sighed and said, "Clare.....people probably think I'm crazy too. Don't worry about what anyone says, you've got an incredible soul" and I gave her a huge hug and walked away.
That was my last day at that clinic, and the last time I ever saw Clare.
MARY
I met Mary this year. She is a tall woman, even taller than me, and looks like she walked right out of an 80's music video. So already I liked her! She wears aviator glasses, a black motorcycle jacket and her long-black curly hair is styled in a mullet.
The first time I met her I was slightly over-whelmed by her demeanour.
She seemed very tough, and spoke in a deep voice and constantly gave snippets of her relationship with her ex-husband, saying that "things got bad" and that "someone MAY have thrown a chair on the other person's back". I sat there listening with my jaw dropped and my eyes as wide as saucers.
Who was this woman?? I thought to myself. And who would DARE pick a fight with her??? And where was she when that old man was yelling at me???
I thought that she must have been the toughest woman in the entire universe.
Well.... until, she hung around us a bit more. And then her tough demeanour would slowly subside, and her eyebrows would fall like a puppy-dogs, and she would quietly ask, "You guys like me right?? And I'm not bugging you?"
And again, I truthfully answered, "No Mary, you're definitely not bugging us. And we really like you."
She smiled and sat down in the waiting room. And then went back to staring suspiciously at everyone who walked in the door.
And I just prayed that the annoying old man would walk in and try to pick a fight with me RIGHT NOW....
DANNY/DANIELLE
On my first week of the job, my co-worker asked me, "Have you met Danny yet?".
"Ummm, maybe? I don't know?" I answered unsure of myself.
"Oh, you'll know!" she said.
A few weeks later, a woman walked into our clinic. Well, actually, it was a man, dressed in high-heels, a platinum wig and a fur coat. She introduced herself to me as Danielle, but in looking up her file, I realized that her name was.......I mean, his name was actually Danny.
"Thank you Danielle", I smiled and handed her health card back to her. She smiled back and grabbed the health card with the most incredible manicure I had ever seen.
I gasped!
"I LOVE your nails!" I squealed as I grabbed her hand and inspected each different colour on each separate finger. She giggled and presented them formally to me on the counter.
From then on, Danielle and I shared a special bond, over our love of nail polish, and each time she came into the clinic, she ran over to me first, clicking in her high heels and showed off her newest colours.
I admired Danielle.
To be living in a small town, where almost everyone wore camoflauge jackets and baseball hats and jeans, here was this incredible person going totally against the norm and breaking all the rules and staying true to herself.
That took a hell of a lot of courage. And I think she knew that I admired her for that.
I noticed that if Danielle was not showing off her manicure with me, she was usually sitting quietly in a corner waiting for her appointment. And she often looked very sad. And I could only imagine what challenges this person was facing on a daily basis just going out in public.
One day, while waiting for her appointment, Danielle got out of her seat and walked over to me. She waited until I was off the phone and until she had my full, undivided attention. When I hung up the receiver and looked up at her, she leaned over and in the most sympathetic, quiet voice she said, "One day I hope to look as beautiful as you".
I was totally taken off guard. And I immediately felt such a surge of emotion rush through me, and I didn't quite know what to say. After all, I was incredibly flattered, but this comment meant way more to me than if any joe-blow on the street complimented me.
So I said what I knew to be true, "You are WAY more beautiful than me Danielle. And one day I hope to be as strong as you."
She placed her manicured hand on top of mine and smiled, with tears filling up in her eyes. She went back to her seat and didn't say a word.
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Sometimes I get so frustrated with life and all of it's challenges, and I can't imagine that things could possibly get any more difficult and that anyone has it any worse than me.
And then I meet these incredible people, who remind me that everyone has got their own crap going on.....and we're all just trying to make it through each and everyday.
Sometimes people are dealing with their own demons, or trying to make a relationship work, or trying to figure out who they are.
But in essence, we are all the same.
And at the end of the day, everyone is just looking for reassurance, happiness......and love :)
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