Our church friend Bob died unexpectedly yesterday morning. This morning people were very saddened to lose someone too soon and we all were "circling our wagons" to support Bob's wife and family through their time of grief.
As I drove home from church I heard a particularly distasteful commercial for an expensive watch. This ad asks, "What does your watch say about you?". Obviously, this line of thinking works because the ad runs daily. Someone is buying those expensive watches or else the company couldn't afford to run ads on the city's strongest radio station!
Hearing that ad while still thinking about Bob was thought provoking. What did Bob's life say about him? Bob didn't wear an expensive watch, in fact I rarely saw him "dressed up", but his life spoke more about him than any expensive watch ever could. Bob will be remembered as a low-key physician who practiced in an ordinary Chicago neighborhood. He will be remembered for his post-retirement identity as "Builder Bob" who, hammer in hand, encouraged congregants' assistance with Habitat for Humanity projects. He will be remembered for his often funny "yeah, but" questions at Bible study. He will be remembered for creating great fellowship on men's fishing trips. He will be missed greatly as husband and dad.
What a strange society we live in. We are bombarded with messages that tell us that what we own will make us a better person, yet at the end of life, does anyone care that you wore an expensive watch or lived in a McMansion complete with a turret?
Bob's funeral will be sad, but it will also be a celebration of a life well lived....a life that had nothing to do with watches or turrets...and a celebration of Bob's eternal life in which Bob has probably already been told, "Well done, good and faithful servant.".
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
A Totally Unimportant Rant About Dentists and Opthamologists
Two weeks ago I went to my internist. Rather than negotiate on the phone with a receptionist about possible appointment times, I had been able to see what appointment slots were available and make a convenient appointment on-line. No having to call during office hours or having to listen to annoying announcements while waiting! At the appointment, both the nurse and the doctor accessed my medical records, easily added new data and placed orders. My new prescription was immediately sent to the mail-order pharmacy and arrived in my home a few days later. My blood work results were available on-line within a few days and my doctor wrote me an explanatory note which also appeared in my in-box. If I follow up with a specialist the doctor recommended, he or she will have immediate access to everything on my chart. How cool is that!
Fast forward to today when I just happened to have both dental and an eye-doctor appointments. Both offices required me to update my information. On paper. With a pen attached by a very short leash to the RIGHT side of a clip-board making it virtually impossible for a left-handed person to use. Asking me to rewrite everything that was already on the chart from previous years. Giving me one line on which to list the five long-named medications that I take. And why I take them. And what is the address, phone number and shoe size of my pharmacist. And doctor. And bookie.
OK - I'm a compliant first child and did what I was told.
However, the evil twin hiding inside me was dying to write....
....the reason I take high blood pressure medication is because of the wrath caused by short pen leashes attached to the RIGHT side of clipboards.
...my pharmacist is the guy standing on a corner in a shady part of town. And he wears a size 10 1/2 shoe.
...I've entered the witness protection program and have a new name, address, phone, marital status and shoe size......as does my husband who, lucky him, gets to be responsible for my un-paid bills
....but now that I've told you about all the changes, I'll have to back to the witness protection office and get a new identity.
I get that each hygienist doesn't need a computer terminal in her cubicle and the eye doctor flits between about ten different rooms, but what's so hard about making a print-out of last year's information and just asking me to make any changes? While waiting for the ancient phone hook-up for the credit card to connect, the hygienist could easily enter any changes into a computer chart.
Both dentist and opthomologist could rent out the giant rooms they currently have filled with row upon row of brightly colored bulging files. Both could save the expense of buying those awful clip-boards usable only by normal right handed people. Neither would ever again need to buy pens with giant flowers erupting from the non-pointy end.
And, while they are throwing out things, the opthomologist can toss the noisy TV that no one is watching in the waiting room.
Ah, a woman can dream.
Fast forward to today when I just happened to have both dental and an eye-doctor appointments. Both offices required me to update my information. On paper. With a pen attached by a very short leash to the RIGHT side of a clip-board making it virtually impossible for a left-handed person to use. Asking me to rewrite everything that was already on the chart from previous years. Giving me one line on which to list the five long-named medications that I take. And why I take them. And what is the address, phone number and shoe size of my pharmacist. And doctor. And bookie.
OK - I'm a compliant first child and did what I was told.
However, the evil twin hiding inside me was dying to write....
....the reason I take high blood pressure medication is because of the wrath caused by short pen leashes attached to the RIGHT side of clipboards.
...my pharmacist is the guy standing on a corner in a shady part of town. And he wears a size 10 1/2 shoe.
...I've entered the witness protection program and have a new name, address, phone, marital status and shoe size......as does my husband who, lucky him, gets to be responsible for my un-paid bills
....but now that I've told you about all the changes, I'll have to back to the witness protection office and get a new identity.
I get that each hygienist doesn't need a computer terminal in her cubicle and the eye doctor flits between about ten different rooms, but what's so hard about making a print-out of last year's information and just asking me to make any changes? While waiting for the ancient phone hook-up for the credit card to connect, the hygienist could easily enter any changes into a computer chart.
Both dentist and opthomologist could rent out the giant rooms they currently have filled with row upon row of brightly colored bulging files. Both could save the expense of buying those awful clip-boards usable only by normal right handed people. Neither would ever again need to buy pens with giant flowers erupting from the non-pointy end.
And, while they are throwing out things, the opthomologist can toss the noisy TV that no one is watching in the waiting room.
Ah, a woman can dream.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)