Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Getting noticed

I was never really one to stand out. Growing up. I was quiet. I certainly didn't garner the attention of the opposite sex. I got used to it. Being anonymous. Being the kind of guy that girls liked for his personality. Certainly not for his looks.

But then something happened. Maybe it was the long doctors coat. Or the title. "Dr. Grumet". It kind of has a ring to it. And women paid attention. In the office. In the hospital. All of the sudden I was being noticed.

Of course, I new it was the persona. People look up to physicians because their standing in society, the power. It really wasn't about me.

The flirting however has now become obvious. The stolen glances in the exam room. The awkward conversation. The gentle lingering when I shake hands.

But I brush it off. As professional as ever. I Ignore the overt gestures. And pretend that I don't know.

And when the visit is over I help them off the exam table and deliver them safely back to their walkers and explain to their loved ones that their dementia has not worsened...much.

As I move on to the next patient I sigh with relief as I look at the face sheet....under sixty...nothing to worry about there!

2 comments:

Maggie said...

When I worked in a dementia unit, our observation was that it wasn't so much that they wanted anything overtly sexual to happen ... just that they were accustomed (in the part of their lives that they remembered, 30+ years ago) to a certain amount of male attention. And nowadays almost the only men they see are doctors and religious leaders. So they flirt.

(That doesn't mean you aren't cute, of course).

Chrysalis said...

You are too funny. I thought it was cute how you ended the post.