Yesterday, I spent four hours on the fifth floor of the Prairie (Heart) Cardiovascular wing of St. John's Hospital while my wife was undergoing a series of heart tests. We have done this routine many times over the past 26-years. I really don't mind the waiting but that waiting 'room' is difficult for me to endure. Don't get me wrong; it is a well ventilated room with plush carpeting and comfortable overstuffed furniture. The magazine rack is filled with Wall Street Journals, Forbes Magazines and NRA catalogs. The problem is easily identified in the room of what I call, 'oxymoron' walls. Let me explain! On one wall is a large crucifix and directly opposite this very solemn and imposing religious symbol is a television set hanging from that wall with no remote or dial-knob and the permanent station showing is 'Fox News!
I told the receptionist after one hour that I thought if I stayed another 10-minutes in this 'fair-and-unbalanced' room, I might suffer a heart attack. She escorted me to an adjacent room, which was much smaller with tile floors and straight hard-back chairs; it is obviously the Democrat-waiting-room. Aside from the moderate furnishings the reading literature consisted of 'Archie' comic books and 'True Confessions' magazines. There was no television but a rather old floor model Philco radio that was playing Chuck Berry's greatest hits; I suddenly stopped my hyperventilating and felt a calm serenity come over me; I was in my element.
Today, I must get back at the coordinator's 43rd annual Decatur Thanksgiving Basketball Tournament checklist; before I can say 'Richard Milhouse Nixon was not a crook' that responsibility will be in my face!
P.S. It's always good when they let you 'go home' after four-hours of heart picture taking.
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