On Waiting Rooms

I have had the privilege of spending a good bit of time in doctors' offices this year.  I say privilege, because I can call the office and set up an appointment and see a family doctor later in the day or a specialized doctor within a couple of weeks.  I fear that may change in the near future.  However, my observation is entirely of a different nature.  In our home we do not watch television.  Don't feel sorry for us.  This is a personal decision.  There is so much filth and garbage on television these days that we just don't watch it.  We do watch movies each week that we CHOSE to bring in to our home, but just watching something for the sake of watching it....doesn't happen.

Over the last few years I have noticed that just like restaurants, doctors' waiting rooms are being equipped with televisions.  I ALWAYS take a book to read for myself or if my children are with me, books for them to read.  However the TV is a magnet and it is so difficult to keep eyes from straying.  One day at our family doctor a talk show was discussing the v**pire series phenomenon and how grown women were attracted to the teenaged young men in the movies.   Words used were pretty graphic as were the pictures.  I tried to engage my children in conversation and talked loud so they couldn't hear what was being said, but it was extremely difficult.

This week it was another doctor's office with another TV show.  Dr. Phil was on interviewing young men who do dangerously stupid stunts like playing with fire on their private areas, jumping from high places while on fire, skateboarding while holding on to a moving vehicle, etc.  Dr. Phil was trying to find out why they did this and kept showing the utube clips that are making these poor souls money!  My eyes kept wandering from the Jane Austin book I was reading back to the tv.  Every eye in the place was glued to the screen.  I kept wondering where the fathers of these young men were.  No mention of them did I hear.  I wish we could go to the doctor without having the TV to deal with.  Can't we just spread a few books and magazines around for those who don't come prepared for a wait?

Another observation I had:  I was filling out a new patient form and was asked to check one:  employed, retired, disabled, active military or XXXX (I am sure the letters stood for something, but I suppose you must have been that to have known what it meant?)  I didn't check anything.  I felt slightly discriminated against.  LOL!  Jeff says I should have just checked EMPLOYED, but that would make it seem that I am employed and earn a paycheck.  Puzzling!