How do you have a best moment spending four hours in a medical clinic waiting to have your ripped up thumb looked at? (The ripped up thumb is not a best moment. And, it's another story.)
Actually in Puerto Rico it's not that difficult. In many places on the mainland, people can be stuck together for hours and never say a word to each other. In fact, they may not even acknowledge there are other people around
Not so in Puerto Rico. Sitting a waiting room, standing in line at the grocery or the bank, we all talk to each other. I met several nice people. We all commented on the behavior (bad!) of one boy who kept throwing temper tantrums. Several older women - mothers and grandmothers themselves - offered advice on ways to handle the boy. We all commented on the news stories on the TV (mostly bad).
By the time I left we all felt like friends. Mostly likely I'll never see any of them again. That said, then again I may. We talked about where we live and what we do. (So much for HIPPA and medical confidentiality!) Several people promised to visit Ola Lola's. So who knows?
Many Mainlanders object to the way medical "appointments" are handled here. Basically, there aren't any appointments. You go to the office, put you name on a list, and wait for your name to be called. People who are in a mainland hurry, who get frustrated when a doctor makes them wait 10 minutes passed their appointment time don't get it. Here a trip to the doctor or clinic can be a social occasion. For some people, especially older people, the weekly or monthly trip to the doctor is like Facebook. They see some of the same people each time, catch up on gossip and families, and interact socially.
Even four hours waiting in a clinic waiting room can have a best moment. It's all in how you perceive it.
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