Patient wants a “Do-Over”

In our everyday life, our thinking is 99% self-centered. 

“Why do I have suffering?  Why do I have trouble?”

-----Shunryu Suzuki

As I moved from one treatment room to the next and grabbed for the file, I saw the words “Patient wants a Do-Over” pasted to a yellow post-it note.  Confused, I went to the front desk to ask the receptionist what that meant.  She explained that the patient felt I was pre-occupied yesterday when she came in and the treatment didn’t take.  

I was surprised since she was a regular patient over the years that came in every three or four months when she felt the need for care.  She lived outside of town at a ranch that hosted retreats for people from back East who came to Montana to practice yoga. 

Sometimes the ranch would shuttle a guest into town for me to treat as a chiropractor when they injured themselves.  I had a good working relationship with these people so this note was both embarrassing and perturbing.  Most of them lived in a tee-pee or a yurt for the season.  They wore earth tone colors since their clothes were either 100% wool or cotton.  And as vegans, they ate lots of raw garlic that seeped through the pores of their skin to ward off any unfriendly bacteria. 

Reviewing my notes, I thought everything looked good on paper.  Baffled and perplexed, I didn’t know if I should be defensive and angry or open and apologetic.  I went in and asked what was wrong with my treatment.  She responded, “Nothing, you just were not here.”  I didn’t know what to say and stood there hesitating.  She stood up and got on my table and said, “Just fix me.”  So I did.  I paid attention and did the best I could; while not even sure I was indeed “fixing it”.  It was never mentioned again in our conversations but we parted friends that day and I continued to treat her when she needed help. 

Recently, the roles have reversed and I am now a patient and I go to receive help.  It has been a humbling experience.  As the nurses take my vitals I can tell which of them are doing it with me and who is doing it to me. 

It was only years later before I grasp the true importance of mindfulness and being aware of the moment.  Right mindedness invariably results in healthier choices and right actions.  

Our choices reflect our balanced minds and clarity in thought.  And mindfulness keeps us out of the past and the future.  Most of the time, I don’t get any “Do-over’s”.  So being mindful of this moment becomes even more important. 

When we settle into the present moment,

we can see beauties and wonders right before our very eyes---

a newborn baby, the sun rising in the sky.

--- Thich Nhat Hanh