This afternoon, we went to the pool without water or snacks because I was so distracted by Draco Malfoy's ill-treatment of Harry Potter in the train car in book six that I simply couldn't properly pack the pool bag. I mean, yes, I had my copy of book six as well as a random plastic dinosaur in the bag, but no food or water.
The whining began an hour into swim time.
So we promised them ice cream if the Good Humour man returned. Which, of course, he did, because he must make half his money off of parents who are so distracted from rereading JK Rowling's tale that they can't move the goldfish crackers already ensconced in a ziplock bag from the counter to the pool bag.
Josh went out with the twins to see what $5 could buy with my added plea to make the money stretch far enough to purchase a vanilla ice cream bar encased in chocolate for me.
As I was watching from my pool chair, daydreaming about my ice cream treat and that brilliant Hermione Granger who has memorized every damn potion in the world, two middle-aged women paused in front of my chair and stared at me.
"Are you a physician?" one asked.
"No, I'm sorry," I said, not really sure why I was apologizing except that I felt badly if they wanted medical advice and I couldn't provide it.
"Are you sure you're not a physician?" she asked again.
I sat up a little. "Is someone hurt?"
"No, it's just that I've been looking at you since you arrived and I really think I saw you on television a few weeks ago. It was a physician, talking about a book..."
"About infertility?" I asked.
"Yes! That was it! A book about infertility."
"That was me," I admitted. "But I'm not a physician. I'm just an infertile woman."
"Oh," she said.
And then no one spoke. I mean, they continued to stand there and I continued to sit there, but the conversation was over. So I just said, "well, now."
And one of them said, "well, we were right. We saw you."
And then Josh returned with the twins and only two ice cream treats because apparently $5 does not go very far in Good Humour land. Unless you are female and you go back out to the Good Humour truck and smile brightly and ask what you can get for the remaining $1 and have him give you an ice cream sandwich to share with your husband because you are kind and thoughtful, even if you are not a physician.
The Home of IComLeavWe...You Found the Right Place
Current List: September 2009
What is IComLeavWe?
Click here to learn more and see the Wall of Honour
Peer Infertility Counselor List
Every Woman Should Read This
Other Blogrolls That I Like
Selling Out and Funding U.T.E.R.U.S.
Click here to learn more about the book
Click here to buy your own copy
Click here to add the book badge to your own site and help me spread the word
Click here to advertise on this site or on LFCA
Who am I?
Melissa, otherwise known as Mel, The Stirrup Queen, and most recently nicknamed Lollipop Goldstein, has been blogging since 2006. She keeps three main sites: Stirrup Queens, Lost and Found (LFCA), and Bridges. She also writes for BlogHer. She's known to Twitter about her wonky ovaries and you can also find her on Facebook. While you're there, you can also become a fan of Navigating the Land of If on Facebook.If you want to figure out how to navigate this site, please click here. There's a lot to process on the sidebars alone and this should help you from getting lost. If you want to know about my header and the image, click here.
She doesn't really know why she is writing about herself in third person, but you can read a lot more about her right here.
What is Stirrup Queens? It's a blog about infertility and pregnancy loss, an exploration of adoption and donor gametes, a bitch session about daily life and books, an outlet for stories and baking lessons written by a sustainable-living, kosher, Jewish, mother of twins conceived via fertility treatments who is still trying to add to her family.
Most Current Huge Project
Infertility's Common Thread
The Creme de la Creme
The 2008 Creme de la Creme List
The Creme de la Creme list was last updated on 2/24/09 (8:01 p.m.). 219 posts on the list.
The list features a post from every participating member of the adoption/loss/infertility (ALI) blogosphere. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate. The list is open the entire year and is added to on a daily basis for several months. If you would like to participate, please click here and read the instructions to send in your submission.
31 comments:
Okay, next time can you please say that you know MORE than 99% of physicians about infertility and would they like your autograph? :) Do it for me.
I get that "quiet" when I tell people I'm infertle. They
Don't know what to say or the people just go dumb
And say "well or u going to adopt?" U tell them ur going to do
IVF And they say "I'd never do that." Infertility makes us
Temporary REs!!!! We know more on how u get preggo than any fertile
Chick possibly could.
You're famous! You got recognized!!! Oh, I am so excited.
So...if you'd REALLY BEEN a physician, what would they have said I wonder?
"Can you look at this mole on my back?"
Oy.
Is it wrong that I wanted to go "WTF?" to those women? I would bring you ice cream if I didn't have the plague thanks to JJ ;)
Well, that's a weird encounter. So, you're famous? But at least you got some ice cream! I'm surprised the kids were able to get ice cream for $5.
It's bad that I'm laughing, isn't it. Sigh.
Hahaha this post came at a funny time because I was at Borders today and dragged my hubby to the IF section to show him your book. I was like, "I kind of sort of know her. I mean, I read her blog, and we've exchanged a few emails!" :) Yeah, you're famous ;)
How cool that you got recognized. I am so jealous that you get to read at the pool. With Vic's schedule he has only gotten to go to the pool with us once this summer so I get no down time. The water is wonderful though.
how wonderful that they recognized you! they had obviously taken interest in the program about your book if they remembered it, how many programs do we see that don't pique our interest, and yet your appearance had a long lasting effect on them. you are really getting your message out there, and through the book can help so many more who have not yet had the good fortune of finding this blog. Who cares about some stupid title, I encountered many physicians when my daughter was fighting Leukemia, and they didn't have the right answers even with their grandiose title. I think that your life experience certainly qualifies you beyond that of someone with a document hung in a cheap frame on the wall. i am so excited for you that you had this "celebrity" moment, even if it was a little awkward.
Being recognized is huge! Did they understand that you were not just speaking about the book, but that you were the author?
I think with all you know about IF and treatments, you could explain and answer more than a good number of physicians anyway...
LOL - How funny! Was that your first time getting recognized in public? It's classic. :)
The real take-home message is that you were so authoritative on TV that people assume you must be a physician.
If my doctor were anything like you, knowledgeable and kind and quick with profanities, I'd go to the clinic constantly. Well, I mean, even more constantly than I already do.
Well, it is pretty darn cool that you got recognized!!! But yeah that had to be an awkward moment. That was always hard...people never knew what to say. Mostly, they'd just stare blankly at me and say "Oh, I'm sorry....". That pretty much killed the conversation.
Oh my gosh what a weird exchange. I would have thought they'd say something further to you after bothering to approach you. How odd. But very cool that you were recognized! :)
Wow. See you are famous. I to wonder what they would have said if you had said yes you were a physician.
Wow. Awkward.
I totally agree with Carrie though ;)
Hmmm very odd that they didn't go into detail or ask you a bunch of questions. maybe they didn't know what to ask or were afraid of bothering you some more.
Although, I think it's pretty cool that you got recognized! It does mean that word is getting out there and people are remembering you! That's GREAT!
YAY for a wonderful smile and a kind Good Humor man ;o)
*HUGS*
What a strange encounter... you are now officially a celebrity! Did you see the HP movie yet?
Ooooohhhh. You're famous! Strange they got all quiet afterwards...like you were just playing a physician on TV or something.
Even though they were all strange and quiet afterwards, I think that's freakin' awesome you were 'recognized'...right?
But my ultimate focus is that it is only 9am, and you STILL made me want ice cream....
and I don't have any....
and the Good Humour Man doesn't come to my neighborhood.
You are not *JUST* in infertile woman. . .you are also a talented (and apparently now famous) author.
It is awesome that you were recognized for the authority you are :) I think you should go to med school and become an RE. Seriously...it's never to late. With your experience and brain power, the degree and license to practice would just be icing on the cake. If we could only go to an RE whose BEEN there! *sigh*. A girl can dream. :)
How cool that you were recognized! You must be famous!
Can I have your autograph? I do not know that many famous people....
Kind of reminds me of the nurse in OB triage who said that I was over informed. Unfortunately infertiles know just as much as doctors. Hopefully your book will do much to overcome the awkward silence when you tell someone you are infertile.
I love Carrie's suggestion that you offer to give people your autograph - breaks the ice! And makes you seem important. Which of course you are :)
Awkward, but still a super cool moment. (If only in hindsight!)
Oh, and just this past week did I finally give in and start reading the Harry Potter books. I'm on book 2 and can't put it down. My house is filthy, dogs need a bath, fridge is empty - but I'm determined to finish book 2 before tomorrow :)
I just sat an laughed at this post. How bad is that?!? Wonder what would have happened if you had said "yes."
darn that Draco! We don't even have an ice cream truck.
I love, love, love Harry Potter too and totally relate to being 100% immersed in the story.
In terms of those ladies asking whether you're a physician - one of my friends (from the world of the Big-C) noted that she deserves an "MD of me". I thought that was very well put - when you've been through major medical stuff and/or fertility stuff, you totally deserve an MD of me.
Wow, I wonder what those people wanted to ask you. What a bizarre question to ask someone sunbathing at the pool.
I loved your answer though!
heh. Dr Mel. That's rad.
Post a Comment