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Oct. 17th, 2003 10:00 am
Visiting Nuphy
Man, I felt foul yesterday evening. I had sinus trouble that felt like it could be the onset of a cold, so I was humping at work to get everything done in case I had to stay out today. I'd gotten in at 8 a.m. with a thought to leaving early, since I was slated to visit Nuphy last, and didn't leave until 5:30. As anyone who rides the CTA knows, short delays can lead to longer ones as schedules grow less frequent and it took me a full two hours to get to the hospital--only to be told I couldn't go up to the room because "he has visitors". No, he had two visitors who forgot to return their passes. Every minor rudeness I experienced was registering on me at ten times its usual impact. At several points, I questioned whether I shouldn't just bag it and go home.
I'm so glad I didn't.
I got a grip on myself, so as not to burden Nuphy. Within a few moments of my arrival, our mutual friend (who I'm tempted to call "Peter" for an embarrassing story related to his outraaaageous German accent)--who'd also had an awful day--arrived. A minute later, we were all laughing. My feeling of being miserable and put-upon simply evapourated. Nuphy told of how he'd been explaining to Rubeus how, last time I visited, we'd watched Frasier in order to cheer me up. Rubeus' response was, "Wait a minute, Da goes to see you to get cheered up?"
It's not so ridiculous. At one point, as the nurse was taking his temperature, I was watching his comical expressions and thinking just how lovable a person he is. He's hardly unflappable, but--compared to me--he's a bodhisattva. Nearly six months in a hospital bed and yet it was almost like visiting him at home. He didn't bitch or moan, he just enjoyed our company and made us feel comfortable. I was sorry to leave--and not out of any sense of responsibility or pity but because I was honestly enjoying myself that much.
I'm so glad I didn't.
I got a grip on myself, so as not to burden Nuphy. Within a few moments of my arrival, our mutual friend (who I'm tempted to call "Peter" for an embarrassing story related to his outraaaageous German accent)--who'd also had an awful day--arrived. A minute later, we were all laughing. My feeling of being miserable and put-upon simply evapourated. Nuphy told of how he'd been explaining to Rubeus how, last time I visited, we'd watched Frasier in order to cheer me up. Rubeus' response was, "Wait a minute, Da goes to see you to get cheered up?"
It's not so ridiculous. At one point, as the nurse was taking his temperature, I was watching his comical expressions and thinking just how lovable a person he is. He's hardly unflappable, but--compared to me--he's a bodhisattva. Nearly six months in a hospital bed and yet it was almost like visiting him at home. He didn't bitch or moan, he just enjoyed our company and made us feel comfortable. I was sorry to leave--and not out of any sense of responsibility or pity but because I was honestly enjoying myself that much.