There’s a Magazine for That
I’ve posted a few times already about colas — lines, queues — and the hours one can spend waiting for a doctor’s appointment. Well, I’ve started going to physical therapy for my knee and the last time I was there I noticed a magazine holder full of back issues of Sala de Espera, Waiting Room. A magazine called Waiting Room. I didn’t know quite what to make of it. And then the tagline: vale la pena esperar, it’s worth the wait. The obvious implication being that we have this magazine to thank for making the wait worth it. It’s a dubious claim. What I would love to see, though, is someone walk into a waiting room with their own subscription in hand — that would make it worth the wait.
It’s kinda brilliant. I mean, people who run read Runner’s World, and people who bow-hunt read Bowhunting World. It only makes sense that there would be a magazine for people who spend their time in waiting rooms. Sala de Espera really offers a unique insight into this element of Venezuelan culture. Having to wait for an appointment is so accepted, so expected, that a company can directly market to it. I can’t imagine finding a magazine like this in the US. Even if waiting for appointments is sometimes the norm in the US, it’s not accepted as such. A magazine like this would be seen as giving in to something that should not be.
The irony is that I’ve never waited more than 5 minutes for my physical therapy appointments. Sala de Espera, where were you for those eye doctor appointments? Where were you when I had to wait at the ER for my knee? Now I fear I may never have the chance to read you. Maybe I’ll just have to show up extra early for my next appointment.
Fino Cambur 