March 22, 2017
Source/Dr. Leitman's Office
Dr. Mark Leitman at his "weird" office in East Brunswick, New Jersey.
Going to the doctor's office is usually a pain for any number of reasons. You have to wait. You have to find out your weight. You're asked to cut foods out of your diet, or told to go see a specialist, or there's an issue with your insurance.
The only enjoyable part of a doctor's appointment is usually the small talk with your physician, whose quirks and mild interest in your day-to-day activities can be uplifting.
One ophthalmologist in East Brunswick, New Jersey, has a perfect plan to get his patients' vision back up to 20/20: bombard them with bright collectibles as soon as they walk into his office.
Dr. Mark Leitman conducts business in what Weird N.J. magazine — what a great publication — aptly says looks "like the aftermath of a Mardi Gras novelty factory explosion."
Here's a tidbit from the magazine's tour of the office, where Leitman, 68, has practiced for 40-some odd years, collecting bright toys the whole time.
There was so much Technicolor ephemera to look at that it was hard to even get a sense of the size or shape of the room itself. It was like walking into another dimension altogether, one where I couldn’t focus my vision onto any one object without my attention being fractured by another. Add to this the soundtrack of calliope carnival music that swirled around my head from the office sound system, and the whole experience began to seem like a weird psychedelic trip.
In an interview, Leitman explained that the collection is mostly for his own amusement. Most of his patients don't mind, but wouldn't you think the new folks get a little overwhelmed when they first walk in?
"Yes, and they’ll leave, and they’ll ask my nurse, they say, 'Is he crazy?'" Leitman explained to Weird N.J. "The guy who is the electrician here, he said, 'You know, I should tell you my wife thinks you’re crazy with this office,' but I told her what it means and I straightened her out."
Below is a video tour of the office by the Asbury Park Press.
Ophthalmologist Dr. Marc Leitman.
Ophthalmologist Dr. Marc Leitman holds cryptic sign.
