Friday, January 9, 2009

Reality Check in a County Hospital



Today I spent 14 hours at Parkland Hospital to get medicines for my asthma. I am exhausted to say the least. I had planned to write about other more "intellectual subjects" but my experience was a reality check at a grand scale. The hospital had hundreds if not thousands of people waiting to be helped. I saw a great deal of suffering as might be expected in such circumstances. Is not every day that I go to the Hospital for anything. In my case, it has being over two or three years since I have been in one. But the long wait made me observe the coming and going of people in a more detailed and focused way. I just took a very long hot shower when I got home at night as to cleanse my mind and body of the exposure to such suffering. The images of all those people I saw in pain and despair haunt me. I offered a silent prayer for them taught to me by a Tibetan lama. May all sentient beings be liberated from suffering and the CAUSE of their suffering. We are seconds away from becoming them, we are not excluded. I am grateful for all the blessings in my life, today more than ever.

9 comments:

Tess Kincaid said...

What an icky day! Hope the meds help your asthma. Get some rest, dear friend.

Janelle said...

ooooergh....same same but times it by ouf! a hundred - at an African clinic....you are so right to feel deeply thankful for all you have and your health. and THANKS for the prayer...xxx

Helen said...

Hope you are feeling better now and that you have effective medicines. Tomorrow is another day, and by the sounds of it, you are going to really make it count!

Keri said...

nice prayer.

Cynthia Pittmann said...

Yes, how difficult it is to be in the environment where everyone is sick...and you realize that it's so hard for many people. May you be well! (I won't mention my cold, small time.)

energizeyour life said...
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nomore said...

May all sentient being be liberated from suffering and cause of their suffering....I agree ....indeed ..strange say to,rather enjoy your the sufferings unless or than you could not exclude it...i also suggest....hope recover soon....

Sydney said...

I know that prayer and it was a beautiful thing for you to go to in that situation. The good news is, that's reflective of where you're at, and that is a very good GOOD thing.

I hope the shower worked, and I'm glad you took it easy after and just wrote about what you did.

Those kinds of things are so upsetting, but the flip side is that they can serve to root you most firmly in the present, and increase your immediate JOY for all that you have right now. Do you know what I mean?

Unknown said...

Oh my golly! Take care of yourself!

P.S. I do a lot of work in and around hospitals. I can't stand to see people sick and in pain- I hurt physically, right in my gut, when I see it. I pray every day to appease suffering. And I work everyday to do everything I can to appease it- God willing.