Where has the empathy gone?

I was uncertain about my doctor’s appointment  time and after signing into my echart, I realized that I was mistaken. My appointment was  not at 11 am but was really at 8:40 am.  With ten minutes to get ready and 20 minutes to travel to the doctor’s office, I thought that I would make it.  This hurried state took me back to the multiple times that I would have to take my mother to her many doctors’ appointments.  There would be some unexpected event that would occur, maybe a low blood sugar or an unplanned toilet break.  Well today the unplanned events were  school zones,  school buses and early morning traffic.  This was my second appointment and I arrived at the hospital three minutes late.  After being detained at the valet lot with sauntering parking attendants, who had forgotten that people have doctor’s appointments to make on time, I arrived at the office eight minutes late.  I explained why I was delayed and the receptionist stated “you are late and you will have to reschedule.” My doctor was standing chatting with the receptionist and there was one patient in the waiting room.  I remember saying “Where did the empathy for the patient go?” I remember the doctor saying “half of our appointment is already gone.” Later, after stating that I would not be rescheduling, I remember giving my doctor  permission to be a teaching patient for the medical student that he had in the office during my previous visit.  I did him a favor but he could not give me eight minutes.