Doctoring

I think when I am doctoring I often learn more from eavesdropping on conversations than I do from the texts I am reading.

I love observing the types of people that seem to gather. Sometimes cafes seem full of older men competitively talking about music with each other, sometimes young men competitively discuss new social media enterprises, older women competitively empathise with each other or young women competitively ignore each other whilst on their phones.

Today I was sat next to a group of four women who appeared to be in their late forties, early fifties, discussing the exploits of teenage children and elderly parents. I noticed how they drew my attention, there was an incredible energy about them. They felt like drivers, alpha women as my friend Helen describes them. There was no posturing, they were there, present in their lives doing the big stuff - death, work, raising children. It made me think about a woman I heard yesterday on the radio talking about feeling invisible since turning fifty, despite being more indispensable to her social network and family than she had ever been.

These women were so far from invisible. I loved their presence, the small hole in the thigh of her beautifully tapered trousers because, you know, they are comfortable, the material is good, I haven't got time to mend a fucking hole, they are fine. The messy curls, the statuesque faces, the vintage dresses, paired with bright tartan coat, pattern tights, socks and sensible shoes. Four leaders brought together for a moment to share the share before they went back to making that shit happen again.