Last week I went to see a brand new GP.
As I was walking into her office and during the usual smiles "hello & lovely to meet you" conversation, she commented "nice glasses!".
My glasses are rather stylish, quite groovy in fact. But I have to wonder: Is this what was really going through her mind when she saw me walking toward her wearing a full VOC mask of the sort used by spray painters or weed sprayers?
A friend once kindly remarked that if I were to don a high visability fluro vest & a hard hat I would be hardly conspicuous at all.
In the waiting room I had slipped from my smaller carbon filter into the "respirator" style, and while the carbon filter mask is conspicuous on its own, in a doctors waiting room I could easily be mistaken for a person with symptoms of swine or avian 'flu who is being overly considerate.
Not so The Respirator. Which is kind of like The Terminator but less cool & more scary. Although I'm pretty confident it will catch on one day.
A family member was in the waiting room when I arrived (it's a small city) and while he managed not to raise an eyebrow when I slid on the carbon filter mask, as I slipped the respirator from my handbag into my lap he ejaculated "Shit a brick! Is it that bad?!". Smooth hon.
I'm quite used to the averted gaze of adults in the waiting room & the full blown stares of the under sevens. Even the "What the...!" of the eight year olds. See "The waiting room" for more tales of fun. But "nice glasses" has to be my absolute personal favourite. At least until I start getting wolf whistles.
Hi Rochelle,
ReplyDeleteThick as a brick, me..lol.. I get it now. Glasses and mask. Good on your doctor! She subtely put you at ease. She obviously has empathy with how people are feeling.
A child said to me once..what have you got that thing on your face for?...I had to laugh. I replied the air makes me feel sick and he accepted that without a problem.
Great blog! Cheers, Jen
lol You're very good at telling things in a humorous way! *HUGS*
ReplyDeleteYou never know, maybe one day someone will admire your mask.
I really hope this doctor is a competent and helpful one for you. I know how important having a decent G.P is.
Best wishes xxxx
Heheh... we've all been there!
ReplyDeleteThe kids are lovely though. They just ask because they're curious.. "mom... what's that lady wearing???" Typical.
Very funny.
ReplyDeleteI think someone should make some fun stylish masks, even ones with catchy phrases on them. Embrace it.
That is AWESOME. you write so well. I so understand. I had to wear a respirator for a recent surgery and all the peri op visits and wow, do you get some looks. I started waving when people would stare. One disinhibited demented man in the hospital yelled out, "Is that an astronaut? Is it? (Then I got closer) Oh! You're not an astronaut!"
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