I am usually chronically late wherever I go. It’s a self-inflicted syndrome, I am fairly certain. So today was odd. I was early. Uncomfortably early, but not much I could do because if I drove back to the house I’d have 10 seconds before I would have to drive back here anyway.
So, since I was early to my appointment with Dr. Thegan, I thought…coffee. There was a little mom and pop coffee place, so I popped in to grab a cup and kill 30 minutes until my appointment. I bought a cup and sat down at one of the little round tables. The chairs were a bit beat-up, but they were sturdy.
That’s when Dr. Thegan came in. I almost didn’t recognize her, because she wasn’t wearing her mysterious white lab coat. I almost felt naughty seeing her regular clothes – like I had gone a layer past my comfort zone. She was wearing a blue, fuzzy sweater.
“Dr. Thegan?” I inquired.
“Oh…Mr. Smith,” she checked her watch,”Either you are very early, or my watch is broken.”
“Yeah, it just kinda worked out that way. Errands, Good Parking…and apparently pretty good coffee”
“Do you want to move our appointment earlier?”
I agreed, and she bought a cup of coffee. It was so weird to watch my therapist wear a sweater and buy a cup of coffee. As we walked to her office, I realized she was even wearing perfume. We both nursed our coffee – a strange medical distance seemed to be required.
As I sat down in the comfy chair I had to ask,”No lab coat today?”
“It would seem hypocritical for me to put it on now. But I can, if it makes you more comfortable.”
“It’s OK. People don’t grow when they are comfortable – it’s just not how our design works, I guess.”
“So, my sweater makes you uncomfortable?”
“No. Not at all. Accepting you as a regular person in a sweater and buying coffee and smelling like flowers apparently makes me uncomfortable.”
“I am human.”
“I know. Believe me, I know.”
She didn’t have a reply. The silence was not exactly awkward, but I wanted to keep things moving, “So, I made a video!”
“Oh. A little off plan?”
“Not really. Well. Sort-Of. But I can use it for the TV show.”
“Really? Let’s see it. . . “
[Video no longer available – working on re-posting it]