Monday, January 06, 2003
THE WINDOW
If you guys ever get the chance to visit me at the UCLA Medical Center, make sure I take you to "The Window." I often find myself having patients walk to "The Window" because it lets them see outside. From "The Window", you can see everything from high-rise buildings on Wilshire Blvd, cars moving along Le Conte and Westwood, the Best Buy and Ralphs supermarket across the street, and the Pacific Ocean (on a clear day, that is).
But it's more than just a window to the outside world, it's a window into the lives they had and are trying to get back to. Some patients just look out and think nothing of it. But most spend time to take a good hard look at the world and reminisce of the life they once had out there in that fast-paced world. They dream about going to the beach to lay out on the sand or go surfing in the water. They want to "Turn on the Fun" at Best Buy like they used to. Most patients do end up going back out into the real world within a few days. But others take much longer to do so ... or never really return to the life they once knew.
But for that brief moment, they are wisked away to a simpler, more innocent time where they took all of life's little joys for granted.
I hope I remember to always take joy and pleasure in the little things like being able to drive my car or walk to the market.
If you guys ever get the chance to visit me at the UCLA Medical Center, make sure I take you to "The Window." I often find myself having patients walk to "The Window" because it lets them see outside. From "The Window", you can see everything from high-rise buildings on Wilshire Blvd, cars moving along Le Conte and Westwood, the Best Buy and Ralphs supermarket across the street, and the Pacific Ocean (on a clear day, that is).
But it's more than just a window to the outside world, it's a window into the lives they had and are trying to get back to. Some patients just look out and think nothing of it. But most spend time to take a good hard look at the world and reminisce of the life they once had out there in that fast-paced world. They dream about going to the beach to lay out on the sand or go surfing in the water. They want to "Turn on the Fun" at Best Buy like they used to. Most patients do end up going back out into the real world within a few days. But others take much longer to do so ... or never really return to the life they once knew.
But for that brief moment, they are wisked away to a simpler, more innocent time where they took all of life's little joys for granted.
I hope I remember to always take joy and pleasure in the little things like being able to drive my car or walk to the market.
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