Monica's book tour #3

Friday was a day of hurry up and waits, getting lost, chillin' and sweatin', solitude, memory loss, and some nice people and annoying people …

Hurry up and waits … I spent most of the morning on the phone trying to set up times to meet with folks at rehab hospitals. I talked mostly to voice mails. However, it was great practice to make sure I was saying my name and cell phone number clearly and slowly and repeating it at the end. So, it was hurrying to make all the calls and waiting to get answers … zzzzzzzzz …

Getting lost … Somehow I butchered my sense of direction and ended up taking a really loooooong tour of I-75 in Macon, GA. I thought I was going the right direction to get back to my hotel. And I was so prepared for the day that I forgot the big print map in my hotel room and only had the small print one in the van. I stopped several times to study it and thought I had it all figured out and then again was going the wrong direction.

I could have indulged in some road rage and screamed a tune in my vehicle, but I wasn't missing an appointment or holding anyone else up. So I tossed frustration out the window and stopped … to shop. For those of you who know me, I'm NOT a shopper, so how I found solace in this activity, I'll never know. But I only bought a few things, which eased my conscience …

Chillin' and sweatin' … I got plenty of exercise getting and down adjusting the hotel room temperature. I just need some air moving more than anything. All I could find was low, medium, high, nothing marked "perfect."

Solitude … It's a rare day when I'm not with somebody I know, and this was one of them. With Roger fighting bugs at the model airplane contest, I was truly alone and by evening wished I was back home talking and laughing with friends. Miss you folks!

Memory loss … Now, I won't say where this is, but the place I'm supposed to talk May 6 forgot I was coming. I was reconfirming everything with the gal with whom I made all the arrangements, and she laughed and said, "Oops, we forgot!" So, I may be talking to myself Wednesday. That's okay. I can use the practice …

Some nice people and annoying people … Southern hospitality is true to its name. I've met some really nice folks who are helpful and inquisitive. And then there was the gal in the medical office I stopped …

"Do you have a social worker or someone who works directly with your patients?"

She stared at me as if I were an alien. "No ma'am."

"Do have you anyone who assists patients with planning their treatment or follow-up care?"

"No ma'am." And she got up and walked away while another gal looked at me from her desk.

Now, the first gal came back to her post and seemed surprised to see me still standing there.

I'll try one more time … "You have no one who works with patients?"

"No ma'am."

So, I gave up. A medical practice that has no one working with patients …

I took the elevator back to the first floor to leave. Now, on my way in, I passed a lady on a gurney and a young man who had just wheeled her in. On my way out, this young man was talking the woman through all the motions to get her off the gurney into a wheelchair. They were blocking part of the entrance, but that was okay as I watched the scene closely and nodded to reassure them to take the time they needed.

I'm not sure if the woman had had a stroke, but I knew it was something that had affected her brain and kept her body from doing what she wanted it to do. Her eyes remained focused on the floor as it was clearly evident that she was concentrating on every movement. Her companion did not push, only coaxed. She knew where she was going and how she needed to get there. She was going to control what she could, and if the whole world had to wait on her, then let 'em wait.

And I waited because I was in a real-life classroom. I learned much in these three or four minutes … how we need to slow down, how we need to listen, how we need to appreciate the things most of us take for granted, like putting one foot in front of the other, controlling our own movement, making our schedule, and not having to rely on anyone else.

Life lessons come when you least expect, so keep your eyes open and your patience intact.