Me: *approaching car* "Oh my bad. I thought they called for me."
Him: "Hey Doc . . . almost done." *looks over at co-worker* "She a doctor. Ask her."
Me: *turning to her* "Ask me what?"
She snapped him with a towel and scowled.
2/ Her: "Forget him! I ain't buggin' you out here."
Him: "Doc, you want air freshener today?"
Me: "Sure." *turning to her* "Happy to answer a question if you have one. But I also understand if you didn't want him putting you on blast."
*laughter*
She was limping.
3/ Me: "Something with your foot?"
Him: "See? Tell her!"
*pause*
Her: *shaking head* "My foot be killing me. 'Specially in the morning when I first get up."
Me: "Yeah?"
Her: "Yeah! Like that first step out my bed?" *squeezing her eyes* "Baybaaaay! You talkin' bout some pain?"
4/ The internist nerd in me rejoiced.
Me: "Where's the pain?"
Her: "Like. . .right on the bottom. . . ." *pointing at sole of shoe* ". . like in the middle of my arch."
Another internal pirouette.
Me: "I think I know what this is."
Her: "Do I need an x-ray?"
Me: "Nope."
5/ She looked relieved.
I gave her a brief elevator pitch on plantar fasciitis along with a few things she could do in the interim to feel better.
And that was that.
Him: "Okay. You all done, Doc."
Me: *sniffing* "Oh man. What's that fragrance?"
They both laughed.
6/ Her: "He on a kick with this 'Fruity Pebbles' scent."
Me: *sniffing* "I never thought I'd want my car to smell like cereal yet. . . ."
Him: "But it smell sooo good, right?" *looking at her* "See, hater?"
*laughter*
Me: "Hey--so have y'all thought about the #COVIDVaccine?"
7/ I got into the driver's seat and left the door ajar.
Him: "They made that thang so faaaast, doc. I don't know, mane."
Me: *nodding* "That's real. But you know they gave it to thousands of people in the research studies first."
Him: "But not no Black people!"
Hmmm.
8/ Me: "That's not true. I was in one of the studies and I'm Black."
Him: "Whaat? You let them folks inject you?"
Me: *laughing* "Why you say it like that?"
Him: *shaking head and waving a car forward*
Me: "Yup, I did. Just for you. But for real, it was on the up and up."
9/ I noticed she'd stop speaking.
Me: *to her* "What about you, sis?"
Her: "Nope. I put my trust in Jesus."
Me: "Hmm. Tell me what you mean."
She wiped my mirror with the towel in her hand. Even though it was already dry.
Her: "I feel like God ain't in this shot."
Ooph.
10/ He stopped to listen to what she was saying. It was clear he'd never heard her position on this.
Her: "I mean. . . God got a perfect system. I'm putting my trust in Him."
Me: "Gotcha. I can tell you been thinking about this."
Her: "I been praying. A lot."
Me: *listening*
They both exchanged glances. It was clear that, whoever it was, was someone close to her.
Me: "Somebody close to you?"
Her: "Yeah.
Me: "I'm sorry."
She looked to see if another car was coming. Seeing none, she shifted away.
12/ I decided to back off.
Me: "Alright y'all." *reaching over to fasten seatbelt* "See y'all next time."
I pulled the door closed. But feeling unsettled by how I'd ended my exchange with her, I rolled down the window.
Suddenly, there was commotion.
Him: "Doooc!"
13/ Her: "Doooc!"
*both waving their hands*
Me: *hands splayed shrugging* "What?! What I do?"
Them: *in unison* "YOU ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOW!"
Me: "Oh hell! Y'all had me thinking I ran over somebody!"
*laughter*
Him: "You streaked up your window, doc! Just as bad!"
14/ Me: "Y'all know I ain't tripping on that."
Him: "You funny, doc."
I looked back at her.
Me: "Sis. . .I hope your foot feel better. And I'm sorry 'bout your loss."
Her: *nods* "'Preciate you. I'm'on' freeze me a water bottle soon as I get home."
Me: "That's what's up."
15/ Him: "Aye! So you really think I should get that shot?"
Me: *hands on steering wheel* "I do, friend."
Him: "I could get it Grady? Or where?"
Me: "Grady. Health Dept. Publix. A bunch of places."
Him: "Ok. But if I grow another head, I'ma come find you at Grady."
*laughter*
16/ Me: "Bet. I'll let y'all know when I have more info on where when I see y'all next time."
Y'all.
Not "you."
Me: "Hey sis? We can see about your foot at Grady, too."
Her: "Oooh! Okay."
Me: "See? For all you know God sent me here with my dirty car to talk to you today!"
17/ *laughter*
Her: "I'll probably take the shot. I might have some more questions, though."
Me: "And I might have more answers."
Me: *smiling behind mask*
Her: *smiling back behind mask*
I waved and pulled out onto the street.
And that was that.
18/ Concern about "warp speed."
An interpretation of faith and science as mutually exclusive.
+
Loss.
These were some their whys.
Theirs.
Ask.
Listen.
Wait.
Return.
A potential yes can be disguised as an unyielding no.
You just have to stick around long enough.
You know?
19/ Thanks.
I appreciate y'all engaging for these 7 days of #WhatsYourWhy. None of these encounters took long. And we can all do this. Any and all of us.
Yup.
There's no playbook.
There's no perfect script.
Just show up.
1/ A Grady elder once told me that we should all learn (and savor) ALL 3 verses of the Negro National Anthem. In honor of her-- and this historic moment--these @EmoryMedicine#BlackWomeninMedicine have done just that.
You know how much I love you. We’re so close that sometimes we do that thing where we call each other at the same time. Because, in that precise moment, we both felt a cosmic need to connect.
That close.
And, on top of that, you trust me.
2/ I told you that I thought you should be vaccinated. You said something like, “I hear you.” But that? That was before we actually had a #COVIDVaccine.
So I didn’t press you.
But then the news hit. 2 vaccines—and an EUA for them to be injected into arms ASAP.
Yup.
3/ I brought it up again. You answered quickly.
You: “I’ll get it.”
Me: “Wow. Okay.”
And you went back to doing whatever you were doing.
Me: “That's all? Did you want to talk about it?”
You: *shrugging* “I mean. I’m getting it. So . . . “
Them: “Hey doc. . . gon' be a few more minutes.”
Me: *pinching down nose of my mask* “No prob.”
Them: “Sorry ‘bout that. You doing okay?”
Me: “Yup—you?”
Them: “Hangin' in.”
I nodded and stepped over to the side to wait.
2/ Them: *calling to back* “Y’all almost got that Brooklyn Style XL ready?”
Someone yelled back that it was coming out now. They looked over at me and gave me a thumbs up. I returned the gesture.
Them: “Bet y’all super busy. This pandemic is still bad!”
Me: *sigh* “Yeah.”
3/ A man walked in with a fluffy salt and pepper beard peaking around his mask. Without getting a name, they handed him two pizzas.
Man: “Be safe!”
Them: “You, too!”
Be safe.
You, too.
Me: “I love how you know everyone.”
Them: “I do know y’all!”
I stood with my gloved hands folded as she approached my station.
Her: *calling out* “Sorry I’m moving so slow.
Me: “It’s okay. Take your time.”
Slowly she approached, leaning her weight onto a four-prong cane with each step.
2/ She handed me her consent form and ID.
Me: “Hi! My name is Dr. Manning. I’ll be administering your #COVIDVaccine today.”
Her: *nodding* “Nice to meet you. I’m Eloise.”
Me: “Likewise, Ms. Eloise. Thanks for being so patient with us.”
Her: “It’s okay.”
*name/details changed
3/ Me: “Ms. Eloise, you right-handed or left-handed?”
Her; “I’m both handed. I was left but when I was little mama’nem made me learn to use my right.”
Me: *chuckling* “Well, let’s see. . . .which arm do you prefer me to give your shot in?”
Her: “Really? Neither.”
On my rounds one day, I was with a med student talking to these two women about their seriously ill father. They were worried, tired, and understandably nervous. They asked a lot of questions.
A whole lot.
Damn, they were scared.
2/ Then, in the middle of an explanation, I was making hand gestures and one sister interrupted me suddenly.
Her: "Wait. Can I see your hand?"
She slowly turned over my right hand, gasped and then looked over at her sister.
Her: *whispering to sister* "You see that?"
3/ The other sister closed her eyes. Then she smiled and then nodded slowly.
Sister: "You're our soror."
She shook her head and released a big relieved sigh.
Then we embraced in a tight three-way Delta hug as tears rolled down their cheeks.