The Hospital

I'm curious by nature. Some find it annoying, my wife does at times. When we are out to dinner she always tells me to quit staring at people. I don't mean to, I just can't help but wonder about their lives. Every face has a story to tell, every person a life they have lived.

I'm sitting in the hospital right now in Portland, visiting my sister. Don't worry, she's okay, she's just here for observation and a few tests. She calls it a "vacation in Portland." I don't know if I would go that far but I guess it is an escape from the busyness of life. She can't do much but lay in bed, hooked up to a machine that analyzes her brain.

I ventured out of her room not too long ago in search of food. There is a cafeteria on the first floor and I was hungry. I rode the elevator down, loaded up my tray with french fries and a cheese burger (you think they would make you eat healthier in a hospital. You would also think that being a hospital would make me want to eat healthier - both aren't true).

Anyways, I got in the elevator holding my tray of food along with a young lady. I can't help but wonder what her story is. She is clearly a patient in the hospital. She is pushing an IV cart, full of mulitple drugs that are being pushed into her system. I wonder what she's here for? She punched the button for floor six, same place I was going. We rode up the elevator and got off. I followed her down the hallway. Eventually I got to my sister's room and walked in but this young lady kept walking. I looked up to see a sign pointing in her direction, it said, "Cancer Ward."

We had gotten off on the same floor but the life she lives is vastly different than mine. Real people with real stories. Every once in a while an announcement goes over the intercom saying, "rapid response team to level 4." I can't help but wonder what that means. I wonder if there are other families in this hospital broken over the pain in thier lives. Real people, real stories. I'm thankful I haven't spent a lot of time here. But, I can't help but wonder about the lives of everyone else here. Maybe I'm just too curious...