This is an actual “menu” from Memorial, including something I have yet to see at another hospital—coffee. And it is excellently brewed, I know my coffee. It is decaf, but I have this feeling all coffee should be decaf. There really is no difference in the taste, you know, it is all psychological. The meal is chosen by the patient in advance from a selection of two major groups.[Author’s note: I do find it odd that the staff has to ask so often if patients are allergic to certain foods. My oath, if you are allergic to something and keep it a secret, as far as the world is concerned, quit making people put up with your shit and die already.]
To any of my readers who may not care for the blogs where I talk medical stuff “like two little old ladies about their operation”, I point out some facts. Medical problems are an excellent motivator to record one’s experiences, and the recovery and subsequent period of lesser activity provide the opportunity to “write it down”.
Memorial West has got to be among the best. The TV and telephone in every room are free, or at least included at no extra charge. I have not seen the entire place, but they wisely seem to have gotten rid of the concept of double room. Other hospitals assume you want to recover next to a moaning, groaning stranger with communicable conditions and weird relations to boot. I brought my own reading material, which no known hospital provides. I began reading “A Song Of Sixpence”, one of those 19th century coming of age novels, but this one is actually has a plot and decent style.
History has established that the more informative guides to an era are written by non-professionals. It is hard to get a true feeling for the Great Depression because so few of the jobless kept a trail. In place of facts, today all we have left is a ton of journalism on the subject, with some amazing exceptions like Studs Terkel.
I do my best to cover as many subjects as possible, but no single author can cover the entire spectrum. I’m the first to admit I swerve toward the technical but am equally quick to point out that there are millions of sources for those who view reading as entertainment rather than a source of general information. If one includes blogs of no particular merit, there may be billions of places to seek gossip, but not here.
And just be thankful I’m not a know-it-all like that Stephen Hawkins.
Besides, writing is one of those hobbies that demands constant practice. Don’t think I can’t go back myself and see the patterns of change over the years. There are times I don’t remember some things written, but that is a far cry from not remembering at all. If you want to be immortal, write something down. Instead of the tax department, let the world decide if your life was worth living.
