The Southern Doctor

I couldn't take this plague any longer and I bit the bullet and went into the local walk-in clinic. This is the place that makes me feel about 2 inches tall if I have to bring my kids in and they find out they're not vaccinated. In fact, I'd take my kids to the ER rather than this walk-in clinic. But hey, I followed all the "rules" and I was vaccinated so I went in today.

I'm not a quiet person, by any means. I'm a typical NY'er, I interrupt you mid-sentence, I'm sarcastic, I make loud jokes and laugh at myself. Most of the time people laugh *with* me. Most people I know know me enough that I'm not trying to be rude, It's just how I am. I'm a people pleaser in fact, but I'm a loud one. lol So when I run across a meek and mild person, I just do.not.know.how.to.handle.it. At all.

The Dr walks in, shakes my hand, turns to the sink and washes his hands for a good 2 minutes. He turns around, sits on the stool and just sits there staring at me. Awkward silence fills the room and I can't take it anymore so I start relaying what I told the nurse. He stops me halfway through and says, "where you from?". Originally Long Island, NY I say. "What are you doing 'round here?" he asks. I pause, switching gears and give him the typical "we wanted to raise our family in a slower paced world plus we'd have to live on the streets if we still lived on L.I." spiel. He just listens and nods. Not a word. More awkwardness. He says he spent a year in Brooklyn and I decide to turn the tables and ask him how he liked it. He very quietly, off in his own world starts to speak softly about his time in NYC. "Well, we knew we weren't going to be there long but I realize the things I missed. Cornbread and beans. I'm real southern you see. I even had a black nanny named LeeLou. I missed the dirt roads and driving on the highways late at night and not seeing anyone ahead or behind, that's serenity".
If my head wasn't killing me I'd have found it really amusing. It's more amusing now on Ibuprofen relating the story. Who tells people they had a black nanny? lol He was a kind man although I never could figure out if he liked NY or not, or why he kept asking me why I was here. He didn't laugh at my jokes (but the nurse did, he was cool) so I had nothing left. I just related my symptoms over and over again. When he asked what the worst symptom was I told him it was my headache.

He sent me home with something for my nausea and something for my cough. Nothing for the headache - maybe he wants me to move back to NY? LOL