I was struck by the difference between waiting room space and the promise of a capacious inner office, in the waiting area. The sanctum was partially visible through an open half-window, only revealing hints of what lie behind the door. If I were a child, I would have been terrified. From a lower vantage point, I would only have seen the ceiling, with no clue of what was waiting for me inside.


I have felt exactly as you say here, child and adult. And in my adult years, I have felt the contrast between me (worried, ill, confused) and the people who are just having a normal work day ( routine, calm, etc.) and envied them for that, it made the scene even more difficult. Luckily I have always come back to routine eventually, for which I am thankful, but… the waiting room awaits and the inner rooms are always a mystery…
One of the differences I remember in the waiting rooms of childhood are the height of the door knobs. Kids couldn’t reach them. It was less of a mystery as a youngster, than a fight-flight situation. ;>)
j
I spent a lot of time in doctors’ offices as a kid and I also remember how high up the exam tables were to me…