As I wait at the doctor’s office, I am met with a large sign that announces “CELL PHONES INTERFERE WITH OUR EQUIPMENT. Please, no cell phone use while in the office.  Thank you for your cooperation.”  I am forced to instead sit and look around.

     I spot a woman two seats over from me.  She is reading a book on her I-Pad.  What caught my eye about her is her shoes.  They in fact are different colors.  One is purple with black swirls and polka dots with green trim.  The other is tan with black polka dots, purple trim on the toe only.  They are completely asymmetrical.  My eyes keep going to them, to their imbalance.  They are very different than the other woman’s shoes across the waiting room, pale rose color with matching flower decorations on the top, neatly atop pantyhose covered feet, nicely matching her plaid pastel skirt and Spring coat, a vintage look really. Funny thing she does, she keeps lifting both of her feet up at the same time and looking at her shoes, legs stretched straight out.  Now they are flat on the worn blue carpet of the waiting room, as the doctor comes to the door and calls “ Joan”.  She is up in an instant, hand extended to shake the hand of the doctor standing in the doorway. 

            Now, an older gentlemen walks in.  I count eleven other available chairs as he sits right next to me.  I am vaguely irritated by his proximity.  I mind as well take a look at his shoes.  They are black slip- ons, and they look comfortable.  He wears brown thick looking socks underneath, with faded jeans laying on top.  Now, the coughing begins. He brushes against me as he reaches past me for a tissue on the table next to me.  Politely, he says, “Excuse me”, as he does so. 

            Now, the three of us are nestled together in the corner of the room; the woman two seats over and man right next to me.  I recount the empty seats. Yes, it is eleven, eleven seats available in this good size waiting room.  And here we are all together.   I have a twinge of claustrophobia. I wish I could immerse myself in my multiple distractions on my I-Phone: e-mail, texts, Facebook, drawing game, my photo album, Internet surfing.  Maybe some other people will come in and I can distract myself with their shoes.

     Just then, my doctor appears in the doorway and calls my name. I am rescued.