"I hope you don't mind waiting..."

I heard this several times this morning while sitting in the doctor's office, watching others entering for their appointments and leaving after their consultations were complete. It was said to me by each of the three young women who manned the reception desk as they left for their lunch breaks one after the other. I'd arrived fifteen minutes early to ensure that I would have enough time to fill out the paperwork before my scheduled appointment. After I'd finished and the receptionist had cleared my insurance, she gestured towards the seating area with her relaxed direction that I wait until called. Thirty minutes after my appointment had been scheduled I began to grow concerned that maybe I'd missed my name when it had been called. After all, I was listening to my iPod, although I was doing so with the volume so low that I could hear each time the young lady ten feet away from me gently turned the pages of the New York magazine she was perusing. I walked up to the reception desk and asked whether or not Dr. W was running late. "Oh, he's always late." She grew a bit more formal when I replied stone-faced, "Well, I need you to find out how late, please." When she returned to tell me that he still had three appointments to go before me, and that that translated into around another hour, I said, "Thank you for finding out for me." The third receptionist I asked was at first reluctant to find out how much longer I was going to be waiting since she was so busy at the computer, but I insisted and she finally pulled herself away, saying to herself, "Why can't I open up my hotmail?"

I understand that these people just look at this as a job, that they are only there to process those who come through the office. But when you've been referred to see a doctor because you have a mysterious, lasting pain, something doesn't look like it should, or you just don't feel right, you're bound to be a little concerned. I don't think that it's too much to ask that those whose job it is to take you into their care, actually show some care and concern about you, their client. Because when something is worrying you then yes, you do mind waiting. But at least having someone act like they understand that you mind waiting would help to alleviate the issue.

And it looks like I'm going to be just fine.