I’m Not Losing It --- I’ve Lost It Already.
By M.-L.
@MALUSE (69413)
Germany
January 27, 2021 9:21am CST
I’m retired and don’t have to follow a timetable. I belong to the species “Late-to-bed / Late out of bed’. This means that I set the clock even for appointments which are rather late in the morning. Better safe than sorry.
This is what I did last night because of an appointment at the dentist’s this morning. It wasn’t for a problem I have with my teeth but for the biannual plaque removal session with an assistant.
The practice isn’t far away from my house. I can walk there in about ten minutes. As it is with destinations nearby, I started a bit late. (I live behind a school I used to teach at. I needed about five minutes from my door to the door of the staff room. I was late more often than the colleagues who come by car from villages in the hinterland).
Whatever. I arrived at the practice a bit out of breath because the street is rather steep and the staircase to the entrance is rather steep, too. When I said to the receptionist that I hoped I wasn’t late, she smiled and replied, “On the contrary, you’re too early. Your appointment is tomorrow.”
Silly me! The more so as the same happened already some years ago. Then I hadn’t talked to the receptionist when I arrived but gone straight to the waiting-room. As the practice is well organised, I was surprised how long I had to wait. I became impatient. What was the matter? I went to the desk at the entrance and asked the receptionist why she didn’t call me but patients who had come after me. She looked at me incredulously, looked into her book of appointments and said that I was due only in three weeks!
The dentist who was passing by chance heard this and laughed. He said that I was the ideal patient who couldn’t wait to see her dentist and even arrived weeks before the set date.
How perverse can one get to *want* to see one’s dentist? It’s not that I have a crush on him - he could be my son - the sad truth is obviously that my brain cells don’t work properly any more.
Do tell me that things like that happen to other people, too, to cheer me up!
35 people like this
35 responses
@xFiacre (12599)
• Ireland
27 Jan 21
@maluse Don't worry - it can happen to the best of us, and we don't all have to wait for age to creep up upon us for it to happen. When I was about nineteen and excited about going back India I turned up at the airport, presented my ticket (those huge tickets that airlines used to issue, Aeroflot on that occasion) and the woman at the desk very coldly pointed out that I was a day too early.
9 people like this
@LadyDuck (458233)
• Switzerland
27 Jan 21
It does not happen to me, but it would happen all the time to my husband should I not be there to remind him his appointments. He has always been like this, he did not change "aging"... this is what happens if you marry your Boss.
Talking about forgetting belated Happy Birthday... I now it was a few days ago.
Talking about forgetting belated Happy Birthday... I now it was a few days ago.7 people like this
@Fleura (29128)
• United Kingdom
27 Jan 21
Of course, this sort of thing happens all the time! And no it isn't age. I remember setting off to work once on a Saturday - I was going somewhere else but the first part of the journey was the same route and then I just got stuck in auto-pilot mode and continued to work. And I was about 21 at the time.
4 people like this
@TitiaG (251)
• Netherlands
27 Jan 21
Ha ha happens to me all the time. Once I had our annual membership meeting of the sheep association way up North in my country which is a 4-5 hour drive from my place. So I planned to take the whole weekend with two overnight stays with my sister who lived halve way. I had it all planned. Driving to my sis on Friday, meeting at Saturday, driving home on Sunday. My car at that time was an old Dutch DAF Daffodil (the old ladies car as we called it). On Saturday early morn I arrived at the info stand of the big sheep herd and asked where I had to go for the meeting. The man behind the desk looked at me, laughed and said: "Uhhmmm dear lady, that meeting is scheduled for Sunday and that's tomorrow". OMG. So I drove back to sis and back up North again on Sunday, attended the meeting, but then I had to drive all the way back home because I had to work on Monday. For years after they asked me on these annual meetings if I had arrived that same day or the day before and then they explained publicly to the newcomers why.
So don't worry, it has nothing to do with age.
4 people like this
@cmoneyspinner (9221)
• Austin, Texas
28 Jan 21
Uuhhh ... Nope! I have never been to an appointment a day ahead of time for any appointment I need to keep. To think that I thought I had heard everything. Never heard this!
2 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (48997)
• United States
27 Jan 21
It would have been nice if he could have seen you a day early.
4 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (48997)
• United States
27 Jan 21
@TheHorse at least she had a short walk.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73444)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
28 Jan 21
It happens all right or rather did when I had appointments to go to like arriving on a Tuesday when it should have been Thursday and hey, Tuesday Thursday sounds about the same doesn't it?
2 people like this
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
28 Jan 21
@WorDazza I wrote a post on the topic some time ago. You may want to have a look at the comments to see what other members think.
I can‘t say how many posts I‘ve read over the years which show that the writers have a limited world view. For them the place where they live is the navel of...
@WorDazza (15833)
• Manchester, England
28 Jan 21
@MALUSE 13 responses all pretty supportive of you. 13. Not a sufficient sample size to formulate any kind of opinion.
And in my experience people are more likely to respond to something they agree with.
As I've said. Horse for courses. If you truly believe this is a writing site then let writers write in the style they're comfortable with and let their offerings be judged by the court of public opinion. I'm more than comfortable with any outcome that may bring.
@TheHorse (205788)
• Walnut Creek, California
27 Jan 21
Worry not. It happened to me this week. I proudly exclaimed on MyLot and elsewhere that I had three new guitar students yesterday (Tuesday). I put on my finery and showed up a few minutes early. It turned out that I meet my three new students tomorrow (Thursday).
But I have Guitar Center Corporate to blame. They sent me an email (on Monday evening) saying that I had my appointments yesterday . So Corporate and Store #225 (the one I work at) are apparently not in sync. Such is the post-modern world.
As an aside, I had a crown put on about a month ago. I quipped, to my dentist, "You know I'm a bit lonely when I look forward to a trip to the dentist." We live in interesting times.
3 people like this
I thought my husband is the most punctual person I know.
@much2say (53958)
• Los Angeles, California
27 Jan 21
Well, they certainly cannot accuse you of being late 
. I actually do like "enjoy" going to see my dentist . . . she talks A LOT about a myriad of things as she works on my teeth . . . so it's like taking a class 
. As for appointments, I buy a small calendar for my purse, write things down, and check it obsessively. Before I used to be so disorganized and stressed out about it - this sysetem has kept my appointments in line.
. I actually do like "enjoy" going to see my dentist . . . she talks A LOT about a myriad of things as she works on my teeth . . . so it's like taking a class . As for appointments, I buy a small calendar for my purse, write things down, and check it obsessively. Before I used to be so disorganized and stressed out about it - this sysetem has kept my appointments in line.2 people like this
@allknowing (130064)
• India
27 Jan 21
So far so good. I am a senior and sometimes I do not remember why I have walked into my bedroom and a bit later it does occur to me that I had gone there to get something from my cupboard and this after getting back from where I had come. .
Hope this cheers you up so somewhat (lol)
2 people like this
@vickyrose (2235)
• Cooma, Australia
28 Jan 21
That's a funny situation. hahaha! Senior Moments. I will soon retire and I even when I haven't retired yet, I had a similar episode. Take care!
2 people like this
@paigea (35702)
• Canada
29 Jan 21
I once went to a school to substitute teach. The receptionist in the office was surprised to see me, the teacher was at school.
They tracked her down and she reminded me that I was booked for that date, the following month!
At least I have never failed to show up
At least I have never failed to show up1 person likes this
