After Holiday Party III
One of our ENT doctors is the very picture of "game face" while at work. Rarely makes eye contact. You typically have to be the one to initiate any conversation. Many are nervous to approach him. New hires always feel self conscious. Longtimers assure them that he is like that with everyone. It is accepted and expected as we roam the halls.
But outside of work? He becomes a regular guy. Accessible and even chatty. The contrast is striking. I've almost laughed out loud at it. My contact with this doctor away from the otoscopes and lift chairs has been minimal in the fifteen plus years I've worked with him, limited to a handful of holiday parties (he hasn't gone to many) and the odd after hours social event. One of those was a concert featuring the son of one of the other ENTs at a local bar/restaurant. It was there (about eight years ago) that I felt his hand slap me on the back. Where I sat with he and his family, sharing a pitcher of beer. I remember the disbelief I felt. Who is this man?
And there it was again one week ago as we gathered at Celona, an eatery in the Northwood section of West Palm Beach. A very cool, funky space designed to resemble an old speakeasy. He sat among our group and spoke at length of his past and current life. How he ran with some highly competitive chums in college. His son's soccer game. All sorts of things. He's hitting the half century mark this year and I recommended he celebrate at Peter Luger in Brooklyn, as I did when I turned fifty. I made jokes with him and he laughed. He even cracked one about my shirt - a black velvety Ralph Lauren long sleeve that everyone was petting that night.
Later, after he and another ENT (two of the four attended) were honored with gift boxes and speeches by the office manager and myself and an audiologist colleague, he shot a few games of pool with us. Expectedly, he was more than a competent player. He was even offering each of us suggestions for shots. So funny. I wanted to bottle this night. To have it available the next time I felt he was being abrupt or dismissive in the office. As you age, you realize how transitory everything is, how you have to appreciate and savor the good moments.
Our group of about fifteen seemed to enjoy everything. The wait staff brought out some chips accompanied by a spicier than expected guacamole. The lamb stew in wine sauce was tasty. This was a Basque recipe, and my familiarity with this culture made it all the better. The vegetable paella was also popular. Chorizo was offered on the side as was patatas brava. Our meal was fixed. There are some interesting looking tapas and other things on the menu. I will return with my wife.
One of my co-workers deejayed with her boyfriend. This was a sideline of hers of which I was unaware. They played a seamless techno mix at a level that did not preclude conversation. They had their board on top of a foosball table. Hey! Woulda been fun to play that too!
Another co-worker, who was on medical leave for almost a year, showed. She returned to work this past Monday. So good to see her. She and another medical assistant (who also came out) have been with the practice for well over thirty years. Boy, is that a rarity anymore. They are like mother hens in the office. I walked them both to their cars as Northwood gets a little sketchy as you head west, especially at night. Its ongoing story can and probably eventually will merit its own post. The woman who had been on leave is rather brash and as she crossed the street some idiot in a jeep drove around her. "I'm a pedestrian here, asshole!!!" Yelled at top volume. As I said, so good to see her again.
Regular readers will note that I always pause amidst the frivolity to think on those many shindigs of years gone by. The other ENT brought this up, as he had before. He referred to the time everyone got up on the tables. You can read about that 2010 bash here. That year's party was probably my favorite. This year's will rank highly. Everyone was chill and having a grand time. I did think about the ghosts, a number of whom vanished in the past year. I'm the type who wondered what they were doing at that moment. Where they were. Why they were a part of my life for some slice of time. It always adds a certain poignancy to things.
About a half dozen didn't make it to the party. One was at Disney World with his family. Another was ill. One of the MAs wanted to spend more time with her daughter, who was returning to college that weekend. Great folks who would've made this special night even better. I hope they (and of course our star ENT referenced earlier in this post) will be joining the party next year.
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