And to be left alone, I'm learning, is perhaps my biggest fear.
By now, you know me well enough to know that I don't always act logically, but this simply didn't make any sense. At all. Eager as I was — eager as I am — however, to get started, I hastily agreed to see her — I liked the sound of her voice over the phone and she seemed to really sympathize: "You've obviously put a lot of thought into this," she said. "I think you're already ahead of the game." — only to reconsider and cancel the following day. A minor setback, yes, but frustrating nonetheless.
While I heard some disappointment in her voice — at least I thought I did — she was kind enough to refer me to a second. The second, however, had an unattractive voice, didn't seem to sympathize: "How old are you?" she asked, and has an office located above 200th Street. She might as well be in South America.
I just left a message with the third. I picked the third on my own. I:
1. Created a list of providers who accept my insurance: 574 results.
2. Narrowed the list down by zip code (10016): 51 results.
3. Subtracted all the men: 30 results.
4. Made a selection: Dr. L.R., PhD.
I selected Dr. L.R., PhD., because:
1. She has two first names.
2. Her office is just a couple blocks away from Stereophile.
3. She graduated from the same university as my sister.
4. Her suite number (####) is identical to a certain apartment number I occupied for three long years.
That's it. That's how I do things.
