2024: Who is Listening and Who is Paying Attention (Part I)

I  recently found myself at a Medical Specialist office on what I thought was going to be a brief visit on Saturday Morning. Now I know, as to why General Practitioners or Family Medicine Offices have very little business on the weekends, it is the Specialists that have quite a large following on Saturday mornings. Who knew?

Seriously, there were people of all ages. Yes, even infants. I hope by now you can ascertain this specialist deals with issues of one of the senses. Without going any further I will stop right there. You know privacy and the nosy nellies and things like that. But back to the story, my story.

There are three waiting areas. The first one is where people check in and wait to be called. The next area is post-triage/vitals and waiting to be seen by the Doc. The third is a waiting area for letting things happen or recovery after injections or medication, just to make sure there are no adverse side effects. So that sets the stage. 

If you have ever been to any Waiting Room, in this case Waiting Room #1, there is an eerie silence that everyone shares. Sure there are whispers and murmurs but nothing else fills the air. That is until those that work there begin to speak. However, that is for part 2. Finally, your name is called and off you go.

After your vitals are taken and if any prep needs to be done, it is now that it happens. Soon you are whisked away to Waiting Room #2. 

You enter another quiet room or so it seems. In this room, you will find a handful of those waiting to be seen. Before long, someone speaks. You try not to listen but when they are the only one talking it is quite the challenge to block the woman's voice. 

Within seconds everyone in Waiting Room #2 knows what is ailing that individual. Followed by a full treatment history and what she expects the Clinician to do because her "friend had the same malady". Folks, days like that day are not the days to forget to bring your AirPods. I never knew who the lady was talking to but I suspect, no one was talking to her but more like listening to the words.

As for who was paying attention, as I looked around the room I could tell who was really invested and actively listening to the one side of a one-sided conversation. They were the ones who had a deer in the headlights look on their face. These were the faces of people that suddenly found themselves in a situation they were not expecting. The people are already anxious and for all they know face an uncertain future. 

Adding salt to the open wound that is their new, sudden, and unanticipated state of affairs was this lady and her issues. I understand that everyone handles stress differently, however, some common sense and decorum please. Throwing gasoline on a fire is never a good idea and neither is creating more stress and anxiety for others is also NEVER A GOOD IDEA.

Medical Office Managers get out from behind your desk and walk the halls and visit the waiting room(s) and YES the patients are your responsibility. They are part of the office, without the patients you would not have a job. Yes, it is that simple. So get out there and run interference. Pull aside those that like to over-share, those that like to diagnose others, and those that like to stir the pot for the sake of stirring the pot. Remember, your job is to keep the organization moving along. 

Medical Office Staff: Keep an eye and ear on those individuals in the waiting rooms. It is your job to take care of those patients from the moment they walk into the building to the moment they leave. Remember, you are the professional you were hired to be. So be it.

Patients find themselves not liking the environment, they will find some place else to go. I know this to be true as I fired my last General Practitioner and the one I have now absolutely ROCKS!

Patients: Have a little tact, some empathy, and most of all, just keep your mouth shut. I bet you do not like it when others get all up in your business. Guess what?  Others do not like it when you do it! So don't do it.

A Little Disclosure: I was one of the first timers that suddenly found myself there. That's how I knew what the look on their faces was as I had it as well.

Thank you,
David Guerra

P.S. I invite you to follow me on Twitter: @daveguerra • visit my website: www.daveguerra.com

P.P.S. To order your copy of Great To Follow: Amazon paperback / Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble paperback
To order your copy of The Walking Leader:  Amazon Paperback / Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble

2024: About Repeating The Past

I cannot let go of this painfully true quote by George Santayana (Spanish-American philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist): 

 

THOSE WHO CANNOT REMEMBER THE PAST ARE CONDEMNED TO REPEAT IT.

 

I wholeheartedly believe that we (ALL OF US) are on the fast-track to repeating the past, the ugly past. This time, there will be NO Allied Forces to help save us from ourselves. There will be no AXIS powers or WARSAW PACT or Democratic Republics or VC or Khmer Rouge or Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to fight against. All of them are gone and all that is left of those failed regimes are the "ideologies" and NOT the realities.

 

Those that know of the REALITIES are told to "Be quiet, boomers" by those that have had luxuries all their lives and have never known the hardship and the hunger pangs of standing for hours in a breadline in front of a state run/controlled bakery only to find the shelves are empty because today's quota has been reached.

 

To be fair, in a world of plenty those that believe they know better than anyone else have seen and felt the pain of scarcity when they hear the words "Our ice machine is broken so no Double Shot Latte Soy Half Caff Ice Coffee for you today."

 

Oh, the pain and anguish. Of course, that pain and anguish is remedied by ordering a Tall Cinnamon Dolce Latte.

 

Folks, the realities of what people think is making a better world is nothing but a pipe dream. Those failed forms of government were only self-serving. Serving ONLY those in positions of power while the masses went hungry, left out in the Of course, cold, executed for criticizing their so-called "leaders", sent to re-education camps for "questioning the government" or sent to a gulag all because individuals were no longer found to benefit the state.

 

Take a moment, reflect on the past, the present, and most importantly look at the future you want and the future you want for you children. Are they worth it? They better be. Choose wisely.

While this United States of America remains Free and the U.S. Constitution still stands as the Law of the Land then this is me exercising my right. 

 

Yes, I said this.

David Guerra

P.S. I invite you to follow me on Twitter: @daveguerra • visit my website: www.daveguerra.com

P.P.S. To order your copy of Great To Follow: Amazon paperback / Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble paperback
To order your copy of The Walking Leader:  Amazon Paperback / Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble

2024: Continue To Change Along With The World

Sorry No Video Today...

But coming back to that real soon. Just a brief update to get you up to speed with what has been going on around here.

In a nutshell: I CONTINUE TO CHANGE ALONG WITH THE WORLD.

Two years ago, I chose to take a diverging path from the course I had had found myself on for far too long in my adult life. It was (and still is) the GREATEST decision I have made. I had to move to a different place of being for my health, my sanity, my relationship with my children, my relationship with my wife, and most of all, the relationship I had with myself.

While so many people TALK the talk about how "from here on out it is about me" or "this year, I am placing myself first" and while that may sound all fine and dandy, it means nothing more than a steaming pile of dog crap if they CONTINUALLY refuse to act on their words. When they FAIL to walk the talk, they find themselves repeating their nonsensical unfulfillable promises to themselves in front of others.

You know who they are. I know who they are (or should I say who they were). Life throws us curve-balls and that is part of what makes life imperfect. It is how we handle these curve balls that show us who we are and what we really are.

In my case, I was seeing for far too long that the WRONG people were the ones throwing me curve balls. By the wrong people, I mean the people that are supposed to be supporting us, lifting us up, encouraging us, loving us but instead chose to be the opposite.  They were using me as their escape. They were using me to make their miserable lives seem not so miserable. Something needed to be done, so I did it.

You can too. You can bring a halt to their nonsense and take control of yourself for yourself. However, you actually have to do something about it. You cannot live on hopes and wishes. As in I hope this stops or I wish I had the strength to change my place in life. Well, you can and you should!

Seriously, you have the power to make a change. You also have the power to roll with the punches those changes will throw at you. But it is up to you to DECIDE and ACT!

You can stand there and become their punching bag or You can take a stand, say NO MORE and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

They are not going to like it but hey, that's on them. You have to like yourself first and foremost.

You have the strength and the power to keep yourself sane and healthy (mentally and physically). You have the strength and the power to overcome the negativity that currently surrounds you. You have the strength and the power to be better than you were yesterday.

You have the POWER provided you use it.

Yes, I said this.
-David Guerra

P.S. I invite you to follow me on Twitter: @daveguerra • visit my website: www.daveguerra.com

P.P.S. To order your copy of Great To Follow: Amazon paperback / Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble paperback
To order your copy of The Walking Leader:  Amazon Paperback / Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble