The Kindness of Strangers

I am back in the Orthodontic Appointment at Whipps Cross Hospital cycle.

We have been free of hospital appointments for daughter for a long time, both orthodontic and orthopaedic, but now, we're back in the system for Son (fourteen and a bit) . He needs braces, no two ways about it.

There is an element of reduced stress in that it's not entirely new to me at least (although I know Son is uncharacteristically concerned about it all) .

We were seen promptly by a lovely young orthodontist, taken good care of, casts taken, and then sent down to Junction 8 for dental X rays.
We sat there for a while, getting bored , and just as Son was about to switch his 3DS on- as he predicted, he was called for his X ray, so I waved him off on his own ...

Anyway I waited with his next appointment details on an A4 bit of paper in one hand and beta reading a friend's prospective novel on my Kindle in the other.

As I sat there an elderly lady came in, sat on the far side of the pink sofa, and then three women - a nan, a mum & a daughter ( who as it happened had Downs Syndrome) so I thought, ooh , they should sit together so I moved one seat along to the furthest seat on the edge of the sofas.
We sat there for a few minutes in silence then I realised my A4 Next Appointment bit of paper had disappeared suddenly between my seat and the wall !

Son is away having his X-Ray on his teeth at this point. I get on my knees and I'm peering at the tiny gap tp try and see where the paper is. I can just about see it. I try to fish it out with my arm, but can't.

Nana Patient offers her daughter's assistance. "She 's got skinny arms, she'll get it ! "
Her arms weren't much if anything smaller than mine so she doesn't retrieve it.

"Here!" says older lady in the corner. "Try to get it out with this pen - it belongs to them!"

It didn't work.

I get a 2010 copy of Country Life which is the only magazine there, and poke around with that and yes!!! I retrieve something.

"She's GOT IT!" says Mum, all excitedly!
"No," I announce, "But I do have someone's lost orthodontic advice leaflet..."
There is disappointment.

"USE YOUR SANDAL!" says elderly lady in pink.
"But then I might lose it as well and I'll only have one shoe..." I say, and the waiting room , full of strangers , nod and agree.

So then Son returns and is given his dental X-rays and it is time for us to be sent on our way back to the orthodontic department.

The Nana says to my son - and we don't know each other, never spoken til 30 minutes before... 

"Eh Tom- I wouldn't trust those X rays with your Mum , she might lose them down the side of a sofa!"

We all fell about-strangers the lot of of us - and I passed the document wallet to Son to much merriment.

And so passed what would have otherwise been a very dull minutes in a waiting room.
People are lovely, people are funny, strangers are fab, I Like to think that tonight a lady has gone home and told a story of how a nutty mum lost her hospital form and how everyone tried to help her retrieve it.

All these little things X

Up and Down

Now you see there are days - sometimes many, many days in row - that I feel so very low I can't see the wood for the trees.

Some of you may know that historically I have suffered from depression, not treated medically until after my son was born but I believe that it started when I was 17.

The thing about depression is that people even in this enlightened day and age, think it's about just being a bit unhappy. "It's Monday - I'm so depressed!" for example. What really gets me is people who think that having depression is a choice .

Choose to be happy.
Choose to smile.
Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone.
Choose to be positive.
You might not have shoes but there's someone out there with no feet.

Yes, all true.

But.

But.

Do you wear glasses ? Are you say, diabetic ? Do you get sea sickness ?

What if I told you you could positively think your way out of your short sightedness ? Or the non functioning of your pancrveas, or your inner ear messing you about ?

You can't do it. 
I can't either.

I stopped taking the Citalopram some time ago because I wanted to fight this on my own and to be honest, I think I manage pretty well on the whole, given the tightness of money and the stress of having teenage children. I don't tell myself Well Done enough I reckon (no-one else will !) .

Today has been a Good Day. I think that warm sunshine always helps that process. I have made paper plate lion heads in Breakfast Club ; got overly enthusiastic about Prime numbers with my maths group (yes, 73 IS the best number, thank you Dr Sheldon Cooper ! the kids now think I am actually a lunatic) ; heard all about their trip to the local adventure centre (sleepwalking, nudity, incontinence and laser tag - all human life apparently was there !) . In between all the other daily tasks - yes - the ironing is up to date, and the pork chops are looking good for dinner when Mister Champers eventually turns up (the Man With No Mobile has gone to the dentist for an emergency appointment. Oh. Pork chops maybe not such a good dinner choice ...)

Yes; today has been a Good Day. And although it is true that smiling and just plain being nice to people, and genuinely interested in them , is a good way to make yourself feel good, some days, if I'm grey of face and down turned of mouth, it's because I am silently crying. (Sometimes I am actually crying ...sorry!)

But.

Today has been a Good Day.