Do you remember, no so long ago, when you were a kid and the doctor’s office was full of surprises? Maybe the doctor’s office has more unhappy memories for you, but not me. I remember looking through the various drawers and cupboards, searching for the stash of suckers that had to be there somewhere. Mom would always rein my siblings and me in before we started climbing on the counter to the higher cabinets. And we never were able to get those rubber gloves within our grasps. She could not keep us from the doctor’s rotating chair; at least not for a spin or two. We- now all teenagers- have learned to restrain ourselves a bit. Maybe we just all know what’s in the drawers for the most part, and we are only interested in the rubber gloves we are now easily able to reach. I am old enough now to realize why we might still be so mischievous, although less than before; my dad.
Now, let me tell my story before you start to wonder at my short answer. The day I realized that my siblings and I learned from my dad, he came with my mom and me to an appointment. I had had a bad earache for a week or so-- which isn’t abnormal-- and we figured it was probably another infection. My dad usually has work to do at home when we go to Idaho Falls, but he had to pick something up, so he came this time.
It was a Saturday, so the office was pretty busy and we knew that we’d probably have to wait a while to be seen, even though we already had an appointment set. When we were finally called back and had the basic blood pressure test, temperature taken, etc., the nurse told us that the doctor would be a while, but he would be in to see us as soon as possible. The room, with its freshly disinfected and sanitized air, was deceivingly innocent looking. Dad, however, smelled adventure. My dad took the nurse’s “make yourselves comfortable” as the starting gun!
As soon as the door clicked closed, he was off. My mom and I just watched, glad that no one could see, as dad explored the many spaces with a mischievous attitude like that of a child who has been left in a room of fine silks with a pair of scissors. It didn’t take long for him to find the rubber gloves. He put the opening to his mouth and blew. The air filled the finger spaces and the glove expanded like a balloon. Then he put it above his head and strutted around like a rooster. The cock’s comb that the fingers created wiggled and swayed as he walked around. As he continued his investigation, still playing with the glove, he found the stash of Dum-Dum suckers, one of which he quickly swiped. I saw the wrapper and knew that it was blue raspberry, my favorite. For some reason just thinking of the tart, sweet taste of the lollipop made my mouth water.
When he got bored with the glove, he looked around for his next toy. His eyes fell on the rotating stool on wheels that the doctor sits on when he comes in. I could see the idea instantly light up his eyes and I knew what would happen. He sat on the chair and began pushing himself in circles, gently at first. He soon picked up speed and lifted his feet off the ground. I don’t know if you know this, but if you get a chair like that spinning too fast, it’s near impossible to keep balanced. It started wobbling while it was spinning at top speed. It lurched forward throwing my dad to the floor. The chair kept spinning and ran into a lamp, knocking it over. I caught it just before it hit the hard, blue-carpeted floor. Sweat started to bead my forehead. Whew! That was close, I thought. Dad’s fall left him laughing on the ground, but I was worried that a nurse or a doctor had walked by the closed door and heard the commotion of dad’s crash. The doorknob didn’t move. We were safe.
Mom and I just shook our heads and tried to be patient. Dad found the old blood pressure cuff, the one that was stored on a shelf on the wall. He decided that it seemed like fun and began to busy himself with pumping air into the cuff that he put on his arm. He sat on the bench that was meant for patients while he did this. And let me remind you that I was the patient this time. The doctor walked in as Dad was releasing the air from the cuff for the third time. Sadly, the look on his face made me believe that the sight which he saw now was not uncommon. I guess I was slightly comforted knowing that it wasn’t only my dad who goofed off like this.
The rest of the appointment went smoothly and we were able to leave the building without more than a stolen lollipop and a ballooned glove. So now you maybe have a clearer idea of why we are so impish at the doctor’s. Taking my dad to appointments is amusing, if not worrisome. The memories are not things I plan on forgetting anytime soon. I wouldn’t have my dad any other way.
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