January 16, 2011
For the past five months I've told you about my exotic adventures abroad. I'm sure plenty more of those will follow, but my day today gave me a startling reality check.
Last week my friend's mom was in a car accident. For the driver of the car, it was fatal. My friend's mom was hospitalized and I visited her today. For someone who is young and healthy, two years here can seem like a glorious expedition. But today I set foot in a dirty, poorly lit hospital. The doors to each room were flimsy and people popped their heads in randomly. My friend's mom did not have a hospital gown. She wore her own clothes. And a broken leg was suspended in the air using a coat rack and a rusted piece of machinery acting as a counter-weight. Heating and cooling was unreliable and I wondered at the professional status of the people in the scrubs.
I've heard (and voiced) plenty of complaints about the sterile hospital environment in America. But today I longed to see fluorescent lights and smell that chemical-clean hospital aroma. The thermostat is set at a comfortable 68 degrees and each patient has access to every modern convenience the 21st century can provide.
For two years, I'm living out an amazing adventure here. I observe and partake in all sorts of cultural eccentricities. Then I can go back to the life I know and to which I'm well accustomed. But for most people, this isn't like a movie where you ogle over the extraordinary contrast, then walk out of the theater. This is life.
I hope your friends Mom is doing all right. Thanks for the reality check.
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