The Vaccine
I feel like I won the lottery. With all the confusing information and misinformation, it has been nearly impossible to get an appointment in San Francisco for a Covid vaccine even if you are age-appropriate.
UNTIL……
I walked into my dermatologist’s office Thursday morning. Since I don’t get out much, going to the demonologist was a big event. I pulled myself together with a collared shirt, sport jacket, and scarf. I mean I brought my A-game. I go to the dermo often as I spent a lot of time in the sun growing up at the beach in Southern California and as a lifeguard. In the day, zinc oxide was all you did for sunscreen and that was only on your nose. So now I spend a lot in the dermo office freezing the barnacles on my skin.
The nurse assistant entered the room with a smile and good morning. She complimented me on my outfit -always a nice touch for my fragile ego. Then the doctor burst into the examining room in the best mood. Smiling and cheerful she also wished me a good morning. She explained that she had secured a vaccine appointment for her father that morning and was super happy. Apparently, CVS had announced they would be giving the Covid vaccine commencing Monday the 15th. She had gone online to secure an appointment for her father. She then turned to her assistant and asked her to go get her personal laptop.
“let’s see if we can obtain an appointment for Mr. Steck”. Since I am age-appropriate and had been waiting it out as my local county and San Francisco were having trouble obtaining vaccine and sorting out the logistics. While my dermatologist was busily freezing the barnacles off, her assistant was working the internet and I was chatting them up. We were all doing our job and the outcome was perfect. I left the office with fewer barnacles and an appointment this Monday the day after Valentine’s Day and a follow on second shot appointment in a month.
What are the lessons?
Never leave the house unless you are well put together. You never know who you might meet along the way. People notice you and they notice how you are dressed. Clothing does not have to be expensive, but taking the time to put yourself together says a lot about how you feel about yourself and how you want people to regard you. Dress for success.
Always have young doctors and young assistants as they will be able to work through the internet. The internet was designed by a 20-year-old, not a 60-year-old. Having a 20 something deal with the internet is always successful.
Being nice to the receptionist, the assistant and the doctor gets everyone on your side. It is just not that hard to be polite and kind. What is shocking is how few people behave in that way. So, when you treat people with warmth and kindness, you stand out and ….
You get the perfect appointment and you don’t have to fight with a website that you did not understand in the first place.
“Looking good Billy Ray. Feeling good Lewis” ---- Trading Places