People perplex me.

Today was my turn to go to the doctor. I've written about him before. Because it is a really odd relationship to me. I'm basically forced to go twice a year if I need it or not. And mostly I don't need it. But, I'm forced to go, so I show up.

Today's appointment was the last one before he takes lunch. So I had some agenda items. We always catch up with each others families. I'm not even kidding. I go to the doctor basically as a social visit. He is super nice - but, honestly I sort of hate having to take time out of my day for something I'm not even having a problem with. But, those are the rules I'm stuck with. So I play by the rules.

At any rate - we were talking for a little while, and he opened the conversational door for me by saying "thank goodness we finally have a friend in the White House". Perfect I think - because I want to ask him his feelings on socialized medicine. I don't really care that his views are different than mine. Religious people seem to flock around me too. It is just the way things are. It doesn't bother me. This is California after all. I'm the minority.

What he told me though really surprised me. He said that it didn't matter to him that much because he was planning to go into a specialised field. People will always pay for that. That he didn't make that much where he was at anyway. Which actually shocked me. His practice is in the rich district, and the parent group is based in an even wealthier area.

I've long ago figured out that it is actually less expensive to go to doctors in the wealthier districts, because oddly enough - they charge less. And the only way to find this out is - if you offer to pay cash. Which I've had to do because there have been many years I've been without insurance.

Which brings me to why I found the whole conversation so perplexing. The reason I kept this doctor is because of those times that I'd been without insurance. At that time it was great because he was trying to shun taking insurance. He cut his prices exactly in half for cash paying customers. And actually preferred not taking insurance. I'm not sure what happened with that.

Perhaps it wasn't worth the effort because I'd guess most people are insured. And people who are not, probably don't think to call and price out doctors in wealthy areas. I've been insured for a while - so it isn't easy for me to find out what happened. Anyway, I thought his reason for running away from insurance was to make more money than he had been making. All that paperwork really hogs up financial resources.

The other thing is - I know enough about him to know he is definitely not on the paupers list. The whole conversation in fact reminded me of a report that I'd seen recently that said most people think bad things only happen to other people. Which caught my attention right away. I always think the shit will hit me first then hit other people. So it shocked me that I was the only one who thought that way. From my conversation with my doctor. Maybe it's true most people think things wont affect them. Until it does.

As I was recounting this whole story to Mr S. I ended the conversation with "You know.. doctor such and such really hugs me differently than he used to". Which made Mr S. look at me funny and say "I've never had a doctor hug me". This made me laugh. This doctor and I have always hugged. But, today it was less of a greeting hug, and more of a hug you'd get from your family. NO - not your creepy uncle. I don't think my doctor is creepy. I just found the whole thing unusual.