Life is a habit. Or rather life is a succession of habits. Samuel Beckett
Most of us are creatures of habit. We don’t like changes; we like things to stay the way they are. Changes, in general, are not popular, especially with the middle-aged crowd. These people are set in their ways and feel more comfortable with the familiar, the tried and true routines.
But life does not stand still; it does not care about your habits and it has a sneaky way of hurling curveballs at you.
A few days ago I received a letter from my general practitioner notifying me that he was leaving at the end of the year; he was telling me in essence “nice to have met you, find another guy.”
This is not welcome news. Over the years I have been through a bunch of doctors before settling for one. Finding the right physician is like finding the right girlfriend; you have to take them on a road test before initiating a serious relationship, and many fail that test.
I have been with my doctor for the last 10 years and I felt comfortable with him. He was more than a doctor, he was almost a friend. He probably knew me better than my wife and took the time to listen to me. Losing him is a blow. It is a little bit like breaking up with a girlfriend. It is very upsetting. Now I have to go on an Internet dating site and find another compatible soul; and as you know, you have to kiss a lot of frogs before finding your medical prince.
Then I got word that my dentist retired. Another defection! What is this? A conspiracy? Fake news? Another blow. My dentist was not perfect, but I was used to him especially his teeth cleaning associate. Now I have to find another dental maestro… what a drag…
In life, you need to have in your Rolodex a list of people that you can count on. You need to know a reliable plumber, an electrician, a contractor, a roofer, a dentist, a doctor, a car mechanic, a shrink, a lawyer, a barber, a computer geek, an escort… a mafia Don?
If one of those defects, it throws a monkey wrench into your mechanic. You have to audition new candidates and it can be a frustrating and costly experience.
So here we are, two weeks before Christmas, with no health specialists to call my own… what is a guy to do?
Santa, if it is not too late, drop a decent doctor and a dependable dentist in my chimney. I believe in you and I promise to be good in 2018.
Your friend, Alain