Hospital waiting areas are interesting spaces occupied by very interesting people. People really do live interesting lives. Today I sat next to three 'perma tanned' late- middle aged women - two of which spoke with very heavy 'East End' accents and one Scottish. Despite trying to blank out what they were saying it was becoming more difficult as they all spoke very loudly - until in the end... I was gripped – and I missed them when they left. They told tales of past lovers... in juicy detail – what germs they were thankfull they did no inherit – tales of cruises - being offered babies for sale on one holiday - and £25.000 hotel suites – and to look at them you wouldn’t think they would be as well travelled as they were. Every time they spoke I was like – eh??... eh??.... I began to wonder what their husbands did for a living – concluded that their ‘old men’ must be loaded - either that or they had won the blinkin' lottery!!’
I sat close to an Orthodox Jew - and even he was gripped! He looked at them – looked at me – smiled and went back to reading his book - *Torah I assumed .
Then - even he surprised me – by striking up a conversation with the Muslim man next to him (but one chair) and having a discussion about faith. The Muslim man took out his book – *Koran I assumed... and the Orthodox Jew indicated to a page at the beginning... sounded like he said… ‘Read from the beginning!’… not sure if it was a question or an instruction.
As they chatted away - another Orthodox Jewish man came in to take a ticket... looked at them and gave an expression of... ‘A wha' gwarn here!!’
He tried to greet his fellow man but he was too engrossed in his conversation. The newcomer walked… then stalled… then looked over and really seemed to want to join the discussion but was weighing up whether or not he was prepared to squeeze in between two other unknown Gentiles! !!
He decided against it.
It was nice to see the two men talk and bid each other farewell in the way that they did.
I laughed at myself and my little pre conceived judgments and stereo types.
People appear to operate better on a one on one – when they're just left to get on with it. Maybe it’s being out of their usual comfort zone and having nothing to prove - free from constraints – that brings out our nicer side.
Life is great when people get along isn't it?
Yes – funny spaces these waiting rooms – a world in one space
*I’m not entirely sure what books they were reading but they did look like faith books.. Remember also I’m a writer… with an occasional overactive/imaginative mind ;-)
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