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...No, not those things, for those gutter-minded folks out there. 
Okay. A few random stories here, all of which are minor compared to what I usually read on this site. And the only reason they're long is that I'm long-winded. Heh.
Also, I hope it's okay that I'm posting these. This is my first thread, and while I think these stories involved sucky behavior, I'm not sure anyone else will agree...
Anyway. Important background - I carry a stuffed animal on my shoulder everywhere I go. Why? Because he's cute, I'm weird, and when I first got him he was so soft I loved touching him, so I carried him everywhere in my purse. But once I discovered he fit nicely on my shoulder, I started carrying him like that at home, and I just got in the habit. Yes, I'm an adult, and no, I don't have any mental problems. I'm just weird. I don't have a better explanation than that.
I get a lot of attention for this odd habit, as would be expected. People comment fairly often about how cute he is, that they think he looks real (he really does), and we have a nice laugh. It's actually an interesting way of talking to people, although that was never my intent. Still, most people are nice.
Then... There are the others. The grabby people.
Anime Con Woman
Many moons ago, I was at an anime convention. I was sitting with my mother (who I drag to all these weird places) in one of the panel rooms, waiting for the panel to begin. People were milling around, and I'm facing toward my Mom, talking to her. Hisoka, my stuffed puppy, is sitting on my lap, but I have my hand holding his paw; though I doubt anyone could see that, since I was holding him from underneath.
All of a sudden, I feel him being pulled on. So I look quickly to my right, and this older woman is staring at me. She removes her hands from him, mumbles something, I can't remember what, and turns away. I'm... Confused. I think she just tried to take him from me. Without asking or anything. She could've just walked off with him if I wasn't paying attention.
Which is what I think she was hoping for, since she got up and left after I pulled Soka to my chest and turned back to my mother.
The Mart of Wall Woman
The next story happened a few months ago, when I was shopping with my whole family at the Mart of Wall. Yeah, I know. Wal-Mart can often be a breeding ground for bad human behavior, but I've actually never had a problem there before. Of course, I tend to go into my own world when out shopping, so I don't notice everything around me, and I'm pretty forgiving of others' rudeness most of the time anyway. Plus, we don't go there often. But still, I know it's not a great place when it comes to other shoppers.
This woman, however, was a Wal-Mart greeter.
Or receipt checker. I'm not sure what you call the people who greet you at the doors and watch you on your way out.
Anyway, we were on our way out the door, when this slightly older employee smiles at me. I smile back. Then she pulls Hisoka off my shoulder.
I stop. My whole family stops. We're all stunned. She oohs and ahhs a bit, saying how "He's your baby, huh?" And meanwhile I'm thinking, even through my shock, Yes, lady. He is my baby. Do you go grabbing other women's children out of their arms?
Finally, she gives him back. I'm freaking out a little, and completely thrown off my game, so I stutter out a thank you and hurry out the door with my family. Looking back, though, I wish I'd told the lady her behavior was inappropriate. My stepdad even suggested complaining to the manager after we were back in our car, but I was too tired and confused and freaked out to deal with it properly. And I didn't really want to get the lady in a lot of trouble. She was nice enough - while still being incredibly freakin' rude without even seeming to realize it.
And as an aside, if she'd been wearing perfume and gotten any on him, I would've complained, because I have severe, somewhat debilitating allergies, and perfume makes me sick. I can't wear any, and smelling it sends my body down a very bad path. Soka picks up smells like a sponge, and one of the first things I checked for when I was hugging him after was any sort of stink. I got very lucky, because he didn't smell at all different, but I would have been furious if that had happened.
I mean, I know what did happen doesn't sound like a big deal, and it sorta wasn't, but I hate having my physical space invaded and my stuff touched by strangers. I've handed Soka over to exactly one stranger, a nice lady on the bus a few years ago, who proceeded to freak me out by joking about keeping him and pretending to not give him up. I don't do that much anymore. I let someone else hold him once after that, but I kept my hands near him. And people just reach out and pet him sometimes, which I can forgive easily, because he's very soft, and he looks it.
But to just grab him, to just take something of mine off of me like that? I would never do that to someone else. A pet, a child, or even just a purse, if someone else is carrying it that does not give me the right to take it from them and carry it myself.
Needless to say, while he still travels on my shoulder, my off-and-on habit of holding on to him while he's up there has become an all-the-time thing. And lest anyone think it's only ladies who do this sort of thing, not long after that my sister was walking behind me in the mall and saw a teenage boy attempt to grab Soka off my shoulder. I turned into a store and he missed, though. But I had my hand firmly on Soka by then, anyway.
Am I crazy? I really think this behavior is incredibly rude, but I know I'm kind of anal when it comes to being touched...
And, my third and final story, which is Soka-free (sort of; he was there):
Dr. Text
Okay. My usual doctor and another doctor (who used to be my primary but isn't anymore, because I got tired of being misdiagnosed and having my symptoms ignored) share an office space. They're never in on the same days, and you can tell by the atmosphere of the place who's working what day. With my usual doctor, there's energy, people are working but stress-free, and they're seeing patient after patient.
With this other doctor, whom I will now refer to as Dr. T, everything's quiet. And they see fewer patients, although the wait is longer.
I only went to Dr. T because my usual doctor is on vacation. Dr. T was the one I was seeing when my health took a dive in February, but even though I've been in and out of their offices a lot since then I've only been seeing my primary doctor. So when, after an extraordinarily long wait time in both the waiting room and the exam room, he had to take time reviewing my records and going over old information with me I was okay with that. It's good that he was reviewing my records, even though the problem I was seeing him for was new.
But then we're finally discussing what's currently wrong with me, when he gets called out of the room to take another doctor's phone call. I'm cool with that, since it could be dire (they're doctors, after all), even though my stepdad and I are sick of waiting.
But when he comes back in, he tells me to go off my new meds to fix my issues, even though the problem started before I started taking them. Which I told him. But I don't think he was listening. Why?
Because while he's talking, he's pulled out his cell phone, and started texting.
I forgive people for texting while talking to me on a normal basis. Some people can multi-task. I couldn't, but I don't own a cell so it doesn't matter. But while with a patient? Am I crazy for thinking that's really unprofessional?
Even if he was texting another doctor, or just typing notes to himself or something, I think it could have waited. I was so annoyed, I just agreed to go off the meds, halfheartedly followed up on getting him to explain my other symptom that he never addressed, and made an appointment to see my regular doctor before I left.
And as if to put it in some perspective for me, this past Saturday when I told my allergist my symptoms, he told me to who to make an appointment with to get help. This man is always abrupt and busy, but even he paid more attention.
So, feel free to discuss. Has anyone else had a doctor or other professional type do something completely inappropriate when they're trying to get help?
Also? In case anyone's wondering. This is Hisoka.
Okay. A few random stories here, all of which are minor compared to what I usually read on this site. And the only reason they're long is that I'm long-winded. Heh.
Also, I hope it's okay that I'm posting these. This is my first thread, and while I think these stories involved sucky behavior, I'm not sure anyone else will agree...
Anyway. Important background - I carry a stuffed animal on my shoulder everywhere I go. Why? Because he's cute, I'm weird, and when I first got him he was so soft I loved touching him, so I carried him everywhere in my purse. But once I discovered he fit nicely on my shoulder, I started carrying him like that at home, and I just got in the habit. Yes, I'm an adult, and no, I don't have any mental problems. I'm just weird. I don't have a better explanation than that.
I get a lot of attention for this odd habit, as would be expected. People comment fairly often about how cute he is, that they think he looks real (he really does), and we have a nice laugh. It's actually an interesting way of talking to people, although that was never my intent. Still, most people are nice.
Then... There are the others. The grabby people.
Anime Con Woman
Many moons ago, I was at an anime convention. I was sitting with my mother (who I drag to all these weird places) in one of the panel rooms, waiting for the panel to begin. People were milling around, and I'm facing toward my Mom, talking to her. Hisoka, my stuffed puppy, is sitting on my lap, but I have my hand holding his paw; though I doubt anyone could see that, since I was holding him from underneath.
All of a sudden, I feel him being pulled on. So I look quickly to my right, and this older woman is staring at me. She removes her hands from him, mumbles something, I can't remember what, and turns away. I'm... Confused. I think she just tried to take him from me. Without asking or anything. She could've just walked off with him if I wasn't paying attention.
Which is what I think she was hoping for, since she got up and left after I pulled Soka to my chest and turned back to my mother.
The Mart of Wall Woman
The next story happened a few months ago, when I was shopping with my whole family at the Mart of Wall. Yeah, I know. Wal-Mart can often be a breeding ground for bad human behavior, but I've actually never had a problem there before. Of course, I tend to go into my own world when out shopping, so I don't notice everything around me, and I'm pretty forgiving of others' rudeness most of the time anyway. Plus, we don't go there often. But still, I know it's not a great place when it comes to other shoppers.
This woman, however, was a Wal-Mart greeter.
Or receipt checker. I'm not sure what you call the people who greet you at the doors and watch you on your way out.
Anyway, we were on our way out the door, when this slightly older employee smiles at me. I smile back. Then she pulls Hisoka off my shoulder.
I stop. My whole family stops. We're all stunned. She oohs and ahhs a bit, saying how "He's your baby, huh?" And meanwhile I'm thinking, even through my shock, Yes, lady. He is my baby. Do you go grabbing other women's children out of their arms?
Finally, she gives him back. I'm freaking out a little, and completely thrown off my game, so I stutter out a thank you and hurry out the door with my family. Looking back, though, I wish I'd told the lady her behavior was inappropriate. My stepdad even suggested complaining to the manager after we were back in our car, but I was too tired and confused and freaked out to deal with it properly. And I didn't really want to get the lady in a lot of trouble. She was nice enough - while still being incredibly freakin' rude without even seeming to realize it.
And as an aside, if she'd been wearing perfume and gotten any on him, I would've complained, because I have severe, somewhat debilitating allergies, and perfume makes me sick. I can't wear any, and smelling it sends my body down a very bad path. Soka picks up smells like a sponge, and one of the first things I checked for when I was hugging him after was any sort of stink. I got very lucky, because he didn't smell at all different, but I would have been furious if that had happened.
I mean, I know what did happen doesn't sound like a big deal, and it sorta wasn't, but I hate having my physical space invaded and my stuff touched by strangers. I've handed Soka over to exactly one stranger, a nice lady on the bus a few years ago, who proceeded to freak me out by joking about keeping him and pretending to not give him up. I don't do that much anymore. I let someone else hold him once after that, but I kept my hands near him. And people just reach out and pet him sometimes, which I can forgive easily, because he's very soft, and he looks it.
But to just grab him, to just take something of mine off of me like that? I would never do that to someone else. A pet, a child, or even just a purse, if someone else is carrying it that does not give me the right to take it from them and carry it myself.
Needless to say, while he still travels on my shoulder, my off-and-on habit of holding on to him while he's up there has become an all-the-time thing. And lest anyone think it's only ladies who do this sort of thing, not long after that my sister was walking behind me in the mall and saw a teenage boy attempt to grab Soka off my shoulder. I turned into a store and he missed, though. But I had my hand firmly on Soka by then, anyway.
Am I crazy? I really think this behavior is incredibly rude, but I know I'm kind of anal when it comes to being touched...
And, my third and final story, which is Soka-free (sort of; he was there):
Dr. Text
Okay. My usual doctor and another doctor (who used to be my primary but isn't anymore, because I got tired of being misdiagnosed and having my symptoms ignored) share an office space. They're never in on the same days, and you can tell by the atmosphere of the place who's working what day. With my usual doctor, there's energy, people are working but stress-free, and they're seeing patient after patient.
With this other doctor, whom I will now refer to as Dr. T, everything's quiet. And they see fewer patients, although the wait is longer.
I only went to Dr. T because my usual doctor is on vacation. Dr. T was the one I was seeing when my health took a dive in February, but even though I've been in and out of their offices a lot since then I've only been seeing my primary doctor. So when, after an extraordinarily long wait time in both the waiting room and the exam room, he had to take time reviewing my records and going over old information with me I was okay with that. It's good that he was reviewing my records, even though the problem I was seeing him for was new.
But then we're finally discussing what's currently wrong with me, when he gets called out of the room to take another doctor's phone call. I'm cool with that, since it could be dire (they're doctors, after all), even though my stepdad and I are sick of waiting.
But when he comes back in, he tells me to go off my new meds to fix my issues, even though the problem started before I started taking them. Which I told him. But I don't think he was listening. Why?
Because while he's talking, he's pulled out his cell phone, and started texting.
I forgive people for texting while talking to me on a normal basis. Some people can multi-task. I couldn't, but I don't own a cell so it doesn't matter. But while with a patient? Am I crazy for thinking that's really unprofessional?
Even if he was texting another doctor, or just typing notes to himself or something, I think it could have waited. I was so annoyed, I just agreed to go off the meds, halfheartedly followed up on getting him to explain my other symptom that he never addressed, and made an appointment to see my regular doctor before I left.
And as if to put it in some perspective for me, this past Saturday when I told my allergist my symptoms, he told me to who to make an appointment with to get help. This man is always abrupt and busy, but even he paid more attention.
So, feel free to discuss. Has anyone else had a doctor or other professional type do something completely inappropriate when they're trying to get help?
Also? In case anyone's wondering. This is Hisoka.
I need to find all my old beloved stuffies now.
Didn't really matter, as Mom used her connections, and the bitch no longer works there!
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