TIME STOPS AT MESSINA - 2

I went to the doctor this morning to get some repeat prescriptions. I do like the notice you see as you enter the waiting room, asking you politely to munirsi - literally "arm yourself" - with a numbered disc. Of course, everyone ignores the instruction, even if the room is full: they simply ask "Chi è l'ultimo?" [= " Who's the last one?"]. I have a theory that the comune doesn't bother to put up notices or signs when bus routes are changed because they know full well that nobody would look at them, for a similar psychological reason: why take an official-looking disc or read a notice when you can be sociable and ask someone? Thus the Italians will always be a sociable nation whilst the British will always be reserved. Now, if you enter a doctor's waiting room and you are the only one there, you would not expect to have a long wait, would you? Wrong! I could hear that a lady was in the consulting room having a good chat so I got my book out and patiently waited 40 minutes or so. When it was my turn the prescriptions were printed within a few seconds but then my nice doctor started to talk about his summer holidays. "There's no one out there, is there?" he asked. I said that a man and a couple with a baby had just arrived, at which he made the pazienza gesture, said, "Oh, well, ...", set up his laptop and proceeded to give me a 30 minute slide show of his holiday in Greece! This kind of interaction is pleasant, it helps your relationship with your GP, you feel like a person, not a statistic and you leave feeling better! Isn't that what a visit to the doctor should be about?