a year or so back i took liam to see an orthodontist, the very same one who treated me twenty years ago, who i never saw and whose attitude my mother was not impressed with. the practice was busy and impersonal and when i didnt want to commit to $7000 dollars worth of treatment in hurry the man got testy and rude. i hadnt liked him from the start of this new encounter and i certainly didnt like him now.
a few months back i told my dentist that i wanted a referral to someone else. my request sparked an interesting coversation in which my dentist asserted we choose to spend time with people who reflect our values and he would not employ anybody he did not personally like.
today i took both the boys to the alternate orthodontist. it was in an office building and looked to be an expensive property but not lavish or overdone. i was shocked when i was called in to watch proceedings and found that there were signs of humanity in the room. one wall was made of glass bricks so the room was bright and the natural light was gentle. there was a sofa by the glass wall, not a vinyl chair placed as an afterthought, not even a sterile vinyl lounge trying to be welcoming. this was a fair dinkum couch. in blue fabric. nearby was an elaborately carved chinese style side table with a newspaper on top and traces of dust in the woodwork.
as i observed the close proximity of the orthodontist to his nurse i mused on their need for good quality deodorant, then i thought that being in an airconditioned room all day might be fairly forgiving, this led me to notice the movement of air in the room and i noticed with astonishment that there was a door open to a balcony. who ever heard of fresh air in a sterile building full of professional suites?
yes, this was a practice i could like