Silence is Golden

I was sitting in the doctor's office. They were extremely behind on the appointments and the waiting room was packed with impatient people. Finally, the door to the doctor's room opened and someone emerged. The next person in line, a woman, got up and walked towards the doctor's room. "Hurry up," I thought to myself, "there are so many people waiting." I looked more carefully and noticed that all the while she was typing into a small database computer. "What audacity!" the little voice inside me was saying, "Can't you wait till after your appointment to finish your typing?"

The doctor stood waiting for her, and all the while she was busy with her database. By now I was fuming; how inconsiderate! Doesn't she realize that everyone, including the doctor, is waiting for her! I continued surveying the scene as the doctor started asking her questions. Instead of answering, she just typed some; then she handed the palm-top computer to the doctor, who glanced at what she had written. I suddenly realized what was going on and felt an acute sense of shame for misjudging her. Each time the doctor asked her a question, she typed the answer and showed it to the doctor. The unfortunate lady was mute.

An Ohrnet reader

Do you have a story to share?

Were you in a situation where there was the potential to misjudge a person, but there really was a valid explanation? Has a friend or a relative ever told you how they were in such a situation?

Share you stories with us for inclusion in future columns of The Other Side of the Story.

To submit your story, send it to [email protected]. (To insure proper handling, put "Other Side" in the subject line of your message).

Subscribe to The Other Side of the Story via PointCast

The Ohr Somayach Home Page is hosted by TeamGenesis

Copyright © 2000 Ohr Somayach International. Send us feedback.