Just returned from a routine visit to the eye doctor. My old one recently retired to Georgia, so when I called for the appointment I was told I’d have a woman doctor named Dr. Catharine Williams. I was happy to be seeing a woman.

I showed up at the appointed time and joined a relatively large crowd of people in the waiting room. Several emergencies had been in earlier that day so the office was backed up.

I was getting antsy and felt some relief when my name was called. A youngish woman with a blonde ponytail had come out from the back and was standing there with an iPad. She smiled at me and apologized for the long wait. Here’s what went through my mind, “She’s one of the office assistants so I could be huffy with her if I wanted to be.” The woman then introduced herself as Dr. Catharine Williams. This supposed feminist was wearing a lot of egg on her face.

The irony of being there to have my eyes and vision checked was not lost on me. Kharmically, I realize that it wasn’t a huge thing. It was one event. But how about the number of times those events occur over a lifetime? All I saw at that moment was the blonde ponytail.