Waiting Room Banter
I wasn’t looking forward to going, but I knew it had to be done. What woman jumps for joy at the prospect of having a mammogram? The mammography machine (a.k.a. torture device) is a necessary evil.
For some, it can be uncomfortable. For others, downright painful. Of course getting one is a good idea. I wouldn’t think of missing my annual appointment. It’s just not something I love doing. Even now, it’s still the most accurate way to detect breast cancer. And with early detection, there is a high survival rate.
On this particular day, I was sitting in the waiting area biding my time by reading some work emails on my phone.
An older woman sat down near me, smiled, and said hello. “Hello,” I replied, and went back to my phone.
“Did you have a hard time getting in with all the flooding?”
Why did I make eye contact?
She obviously wanted to keep the conversation going. Have you ever settled into your plane seat and gotten out a book you’ve been dying to read for months when a friendly, but loquacious person sitting next to you starts a conversation? Same situation. No escaping the inevitable.
My work emails were going to have to wait. She seemed nice enough. I might as well have a conversation, I thought to myself. She’s probably nervous and needs someone to talk to.
“No, actually. I came by way of the highway. There was no flooding.” I explained.
“Well, I came the back way and the roads near my home were so bad. The rain is really coming down, and halfway here, a road was blocked because it was flooded so badly. I was detoured and it took forever to get here.”
And so it began.
Turns out, it wasn’t a conversation after all. I didn’t have to share a thing. All I could do was listen. “Do you live near here?” she asked. And without taking a breath or waiting for me to answer, she continued uninterrupted.
In a matter of 10 minutes that seemed to pass like 10 hours, I knew where she grew up, the places she had lived throughout her life, why she moved three times while she was raising a family, the number of children she had - and the one she lost by miscarriage. I heard all about her husband’s profession, a sordid story about a family member’s brush with the law, what her children did for a living, the number of grandchildren she had and what they were up to these days, what she watches on TV, and how she keeps busy.
It was a relief when I heard my name called.
I never looked forward to getting my mammogram so much in my life.
This is a humorous story about waiting room banter. In no way does it seek to diminish the importance of early breast cancer detection or convey any disrespect for those who have been diagnosed with this dreadful disease. Breast cancer is no joke. Learn more. Breast Cancer Information